Following a rain delay at 4-4 in the second set, Watson broke the Belgian and held serve to level the match.

There were seven breaks of serve in the third set, with the decisive one coming when Watson went 6-5 up.

The 27-year-old held serve for victory in three hours 33 minutes to progress in an event she won in 2015.

During the match, the draw for the Australian Open, which will take place between 20 January and 2 February, took place and Watson, ranked 101st in the world, will play Czech world number 62 Kristyna Pliskova - twin sister of second seed Karolina - in the first round.