Hampstead's Harriet Dart and partner Heather Watson have vowed to return even stronger after battling into the final at the LTA’s Rothesay Open in Nottingham.

The pair were main draw wildcards for the women’s doubles category in the East Midlands but the Brits defied the odds to reach the final showdown.

Waiting for them was unseeded duo Ulrikke Eikeri and Ingrid Neel but, after losing a hard-fought opening set on a tie-break, the British duo rallied in the second to force a decider.

And it went a long way before the Norwegian and Estonian couple closed out a 7-6 5-7 10-8 success and claim the trophy.

"I want to thank Harriet for playing with me this week," said Watson on court afterwards.

"We always have such fun on the court and she’s such a great team-mate. We didn’t get the title this time but I promise you we will next time!

"We’ve actually both been a bit unwell this week so to make the final is a bonus. Congratulations to our opponents. They played a good match.

"Thank you to everyone who came to watch us, and to everyone who makes this tournament possible. And of course to our teams, for continuing to support us."

The tournament may have ended in defeat for the British pairing but the two certainly impressed on their way to the final.

Watson and Dart defeated third seeds Hao-Ching and Latisha Chan in straight sets to start their run, and backed that up with victory versus Cristina Bucsa and Makoto Ninomiya before beating top British pairing Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls in the last four.

For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.