Chris Evert has given a vote of confidence to Laura Robson by insisting that the former British No 1 can still make the world’s top 10 when she finally gets back from injury. The American, among the all-time greats of the women’s game, reckons that Robson can make up for lost time despite having been out for 14 months with a wrist injury that required surgery last April. Evert offered her endorsement as current Great British No 1 Heather Watson went out of the Miami Open second round on Saturday, beaten 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 by world No 15 Angelique Kerber after creating enough chances to have won. Heather Watson makes her way off the court after crashing out of the Miami Open to Angelique Kerber . Watson was beaten 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 by world No 15 Kerber at Crandon Park Tennis Centre on Saturday . ‘Yes it has been a very long but Laura is still young so she will be fine,’ said Evert, speaking at the launch of her new Chrissie by Tail clothing line. ‘If she was 27 or 28 there would be a problem but she has got plenty of time on her side,’ said the 18-time Grand Slam winner. ‘I was very impressed with her at Wimbledon in 2013 before the injury. I was thinking top 10 for sure and that can still be attainable. But she has got to get herself really fit for her return to the tour and that is going to be tough for Laura.’ Current British No 1 Watson (left) shakes hands with Kerber at the net after their second round match . Laura Robson has been backed to reach the top 10 upon her return from a 15-month injury lay-off . There are signs that Robson may finally be ready for a return to action in time for May’s French Open in Paris, despite missing out on Miami and taking her name off the entry list for next month’s WTA Tour event in Bogota. When she does come back, however, it is likely to be at a lower-profile event. Meanwhile, her long-time friendly rival Watson resumed at 5-7 down in her rain-delayed contest with Kerber, having missed a set point the previous afternoon before a deluge arrived. The final two sets proved to be as wildly undulating as the first one had been. The 22-year-old from Guernsey, breathing down the neck of her career-high ranking of 38, will know that this was a match she could have won against a player who has been as high as No 5 in the world but has suffered a disappointing year to date. Watson plays a shot at the 2013 US Open - she has been out injured after needing surgery on her wrist . Former US tennis star Chris Evert has backed Robson to return to her best and make it to the top 10 . With a little more composure she would have done, and an indication of how much it hinged on the more vital moments was that she ended up with more points than her more experienced opponent, with 113 to 111. The games often came in blocks as two nervous combatants became confident and then fearful again, depending on the scoreboard. In relatively cool conditions for this event, Watson went 2-0 up in the second, then 3-2 down, before reeling off the next four games. Watson 'will be fine' as she is very young, according to former World No 1 Evert . Kerber, a left-hander who has been to the Wimbledon semi-finals, then surged to 5-1 as Watson was broken immediately in the decider, losing one point through a volleying error of astonishing simplicity. The anxious German looked tired — ‘she’s knackered, Heather’ cried out an English voice — and Watson duly got back on serve to 4-5 before four unforced errors sealed her fate. It could have been a different end to this segment of the season, and once her doubles is over she will be concentrating on the clay courts.
Heather Watson was beaten in the Miami Open second round on Saturday . Angelique Kerber won 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 against Watson to end her progress . Elsewhere, Chris Evert has backed Laura Robson to reach the top 10 . Robson has been out for 14 months with a wrist injury that needed surgery .