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The Bank of the West Classic has granted a main draw wild card to up-and-coming young British standout Heather Watson for the 2012 event that will be held July 9-15 at Stanford's Taube Family Tennis Center.

This will be the first appearance at Stanford for the 20-year-old Watson, who made a name for herself in the tennis world after winning the 2009 US Open Girls singles title.

Winning two additional singles titles on the ITF circuit, Watson played in her first WTA main draw event in 2010 at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Fla.

Already in her young career Watson has played some of the biggest names in women's tennis, including former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and current world No. 1 Maria Sharapova. Watson nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2010 season after taking Sharapova to three sets in the first round of the US Open.

Watson eventually lost the match, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, to the overpowering Sharapova, but not before showcasing her promising young talent.

Currently ranked No. 110 in the world, Watson has risen up the rankings after an impressive performance at the French Open earlier this year. Winning three matches in the qualifying rounds and defeating Russia's Elena Vesnina in the main draw, Watson advanced to the second round at Roland Garros for the second time in her young career.

Watson will join Stanford's Nicole Gibbs on the wild-card list as the Bank of the West Classic continues its reputation of showcasing up-and-coming talent.

In addition, the 2012 Bank of the West Classic will feature some of the biggest names in women's tennis, including 13-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, and 2011 French Open semifinalist Marion Bartoli.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 866-WTA-TIXS (866-982-8497) or by logging on to www.BankoftheWestClassic.com.

The Bank of the West Classic, a premier WTA event, is now in its 42nd year and features a 28-player singles draw as well as a 16-team doubles draw. The event is owned and operated by IMG and serves as the opening women's event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series.

— Palo Alto Online Sports

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