Jelena Jankovic defeats Laura Robson at Wimbledon
Laura Robson was defeated but by no means disgraced by Jelena Jankovic in the opening round at Wimbledon today.
While Jankovic ultimately proved too strong for the 16-year-old with a 6-3, 7-6 victory Robson herself did provide more than a few glimpses of the talent that has generated such buzz in British tennis circles.
The British teenager was for the second year running awarded a wildcard into the main draw at the All England Club, and the draw did her no favours by placing her name next to that of the fourth seed. But after taking the opening set against Daniela Hantuchova in the first round last year, Robson again acquitted herself well against an even tougher opponent today.
With Jankovic breaking Robson’s serve three times in the first set (Robson broke back once herself) and taking the honours 6-3, the world No. 234 held firm in the second, until the Serb secured the important break in the eighth game of the set to take a 5-3 lead and the opportunity to serve for the match.
That game didn’t go script for Jankovic, with Robson breaking back immediately. Jankovic then created two match point chances at 6-5 in the second, but the local hope saved both and then served herself out of trouble to force a tiebreak, during which she saved two more match points – her fourth of the match with her 13th ace of the day, before the fourth seed took victory with her fifth match point.
Indeed, with only improvement to come to Robson’s serve as she matures, it’s an aspect of her game that looks to be shaping as a genuine weapon in the future.
She may have been defeated today, but if the 2008 Wimbledon girls’ singles champion can follow this early trajectory into the senior ranks over the next couple of years there is reason to get excited about the prospects of success in British women’s tennis in the future.
Along with Jankovic, eighth seed Kim Clijsters, 11th seed Marion Bartoli, 12th seed Nadia Petrova, 21st seed Vera Zvonareva, 26th seed Alisa Kleybanova and 27th seed Maria Kirilenko have also won their opening matches on day one.
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