Laura Robson

Infobox Tennis player
playername = Laura Robson


country = GBR
AUS
residence = Wimbledon, London
datebirth = birth date and age|1994|1|21|df=yes
placebirth = flagicon|Australia Melbourne, Australia
height = convert|5|ft|7|in|m|2|abbr=on
weight = convert|48|kg|lb st|abbr=on
turnedpro =
plays = Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
careerprizemoney =
singlesrecord =
singlestitles = 5 (Junior)
highestsinglesranking = 5 (Junior)
AustralianOpenresult =
FrenchOpenresult =
Wimbledonresult = Juniors: W (2008)
USOpenresult =
doublesrecord =
doublestitles =
highestdoublesranking =
updated = 5 July 2008

Laura Robson (born 21 January, 1994 in Melbourne, Australia) cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7488551.stm |title=Robson flies flag for Britain |date=2008-07-03 |publisher=bbc.co.uk |accessdate=2008-07-04 ] is a British and Australian dual nationalcite web| last = Davies| first = Rob| title = Wimbledon champion Laura Robson has been British for just four months| work = The Telegraph| publisher = Telegraph Media Group Limited| date = 2008-07-13| url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2299091/Wimbledon-champion-Laura-Robson-has-been-British-for-just-four-months.html| accessdate =2008-07-13 ] tennis player. Initially registered as an Australian for tennis purposes, she has represented Great Britain since early 2008. She is the 2008 Wimbledon Junior Girls' Champion. [cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article4269968.ece |title=Laura Robson moves into Wimbledon final |date=2008-07-04 |publisher=timesonline.co.uk |accessdate=2008-07-04 ]

Biography

Robson's father, Andrew, is an Australian oil executive with Royal Dutch Shell, [>cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article4276574.ece|title=Things you didn’t know about Laura Robson, the girl who became a star|date=July 6, 2008|publisher=Times Online|accessdate=2008-07-07] and her mother, Kathy, an Australian sports coach and former professional basketball player. [cite web| last = Addley| first = Esther| title = Never mind Murray. Look out for Laura| work = The Guardian| publisher = Guardian News and Media| date = 2008-07-05| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/05/wimbledon.tennis6| accessdate =2008-07-05 ] [citeweb|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1379448.ece|title=Laura's Ausome|publisher=The Sun|date=2008-07-04|accessdate=2008-07-05] Robson and her family moved from Melbourne to Singapore when she was eighteen months old, and then to England when she was six. She acquired British nationality after her father was granted a British passport in February 2008.

Career

Junior career

Robson, who is coached by Martijn Bok, [cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jul/07/wimbledon.tennis7|title=Level-headed Robson prepares for a future of fame and hype|last=Preston|first=Eleanor|date=July 7, 2008|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=2008-07-07] has a junior win-loss record of 33-9. [cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article4276574.ece|title=Things you didn’t know about Laura Robson, the girl who became a star|date=July 6, 2008|publisher=Times Online|accessdate=2008-07-07] She has won five junior titles, at Wimbledon (2008), Vierumäki (2007), Leeuwarden (2007) and Bradenton (2006, 2007), and has reached the finals of five other tournaments. [cite web|url=http://www.coretennis.net/majic/pageServer/0l01000009/en/pid/9018/index.html|title=Laura Robson|publisher=Coretennis.net|accessdate=2008-07-07]

Robson was the youngest competitor in the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, but she upset the American number one seed Melanie Oudin in the second round. [cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article4269968.ece|title=Laura Robson moves into Wimbledon final |date=July 4, 2008|publisher=Times Online|accessdate=2008-07-07] Robson had lost to Oudin in the final of her previous ITF Juniors tournament, at Roehampton. [cite web|url=http://www.itftennis.com/juniors/tournaments/tournamentresults.asp?Event=1100094738&Tournament=1100016812|title=Results from ITF Juniors, Roehampton, 2008|title=Results from ITF Junior Girls, Roehampton, June 2008|accessdate=2008-07-13] She went on to win girls' singles tournament by defeating Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand in the final 6–3, 3–6, 6–1, becoming the first British female since Annabel Croft in 1984 to become the junior Wimbledon champion.Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7491442.stm|title=Briton Robson wins girls' title|accessdate=2008-07-05|publisher=BBC Sport|year=2008|author=Piers Newbery] [cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/07/04/utrobson104.xml |title=Briton Laura Robson makes the girl's "sic" Wimbledon final|date=2008-07-04 |publisher=telegraph.co.uk|accessdate=2008-07-04] She now joins company such as Amelie Mauresmo and Martina Hingis to win the junior title and is the youngest player to win the Girls singles since Hingis in 1994. She has been compared to former world number 1, Kim Clijsters, by the head of women's tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association, Carl Maes, who has been quoted as saying, "She plays at the same level, and on grass, perhaps even a bit better." [citeweb|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1031696/Andy-Murray-Now-Lauras-British-hope-watch-Wimbledon--just-14-years-old.html|title=Andy Murray who? Now, it's down to Laura to win back British hope at Wimbledon... even if she is just 14 years old|publisher=The Daily Mail|date=2008-07-05|accessdate=2008-07-05]

2008

Robson made her debut on the ITF women's circuit at a $10,000 tournament in Limoges, France in September 2008. She won two matches to qualify for the main draw of the tournament, following these victories with a first round win before having to retire in her second round match against number 2 seed, Marina Melnikova, at 2–4 down in the first set. [cite web |url=http://www.itftennis.com/womens/tournaments/drawsheetbyround.asp?tournament=1100018010&event=1100102026&round=2 |title=$10,000 Limoges 2008
publisher=www.itftennis.com] Robson was then given a wildcard into the main draw of a home event, the $75,000 ITF in Shrewsbury, Great Britain. She won a tough first round match against a qualifier and fellow Brit Sarah Borwell in three sets. This set up a second round match against 2007 Wimbledon Girls singles champion Urszula Radwanska. Robson came through the battle of the Wimbledon girls champions with a win in straight sets, 6–3, 6–3, booking her a place in the quarter-final against 4th seed Tzipi Obziler from Israel. She went on to beat Obziler by the same scoreline as her previous round. Her semi-final match was against 2nd seed Maret Ani, a match which Robson lost in three sets, 6–2, 3–6, 6–0. She has been been quoted as saying that she feels confident about playing on the adult tour but feels that she still needs more experience, "I can cope with playing at this level, but they have more experience. I can definitely play with them. It's just a question of getting the experience." [cite web |url=http://www.itftennis.com/womens/tournaments/drawsheetbyround.asp?tournament=1100018021&event=1100102069&round=1 |title=$75,000 Shrewsbury 2008 |publisher=www.itftennis.com] [cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/3092292/Girls-junior-Wimbledon-champion-Laura-Robson-suffers-semi-final-loss-in-Shrewsbury-Tennis.html |title=Girls junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson suffers semi-final loss in Shrewsbury |publisher=www.telegraph.co.uk |date=September 27 2008] Robson was then given a wildcard into the $50,000 ITF in Barnstaple, Great Britain. She lost her first round match to the number 7 seed Angelique Kerber from Germany, 6–7, 6–4, 6–2. She was quoted as saying "I gave everything I had and the result didn't come out as I wanted. Angelique defended well and maybe I didn't give myself the best chance, but all credit to her."cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7660640.stm |title=Robson handed Luxembourg wildcard |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2008-10-09|accessdate=2008-10-09]

Robson will now take part in the her first tournament on the main WTA Tour, after being handed a wildcard at the 2008 Fortis Championships, in Luxembourg City, a Tier III event. Afterwards, Robson is to return to the junior circuit in preparation for the 2009 Australian Open.

References

External links

*ITF junior profile|number=100119096
*LTA profile of [http://www.lta.org.uk/Players/Player-profiles/Girls/RobsonLaura/ Laura Robson]
* [http://www.informationtennis.com/#/rfuturestars/4529804279 Laura Robson] profile on [http://www.informationtennis.com Information Tennis]