MURRAY AND ROBSON RAISE BRITISH TENNIS SPIRITS.

For the first time in 15 years, Britain has both a man and a woman through to the 4th round of Wimbledon. Back in the dim and distant days of 1998, it was Tim Henman and Sam Smith; this year it's Andy Murray and Laura Robson.

 

In 1998, Henman was our regular Wimbledon hope and often progressed to the latter stages of the competition but Sam Smith, while being our top female player of the time, made her one and only 4th round appearance in that year. Sadly, ever fulfilled their early promise.

 

Today, Andy Murray has become the 'Great White Hope' of British mens' tennis and has looked to be in imperious form in this year's tournament. If he carries on as he's played so far, he must be odds on to reach the final and he could well win that, too, adding the Wimbledon title to that of the USA which he won last year.

 

In the womens' event this year we had several starters but it is the precocious Laura Robson who has survived to round 4. After winning the junior event 5 years ago, Robson has become the darling of British tennis and has proved good enough to defeat several of the world's top players, though has also shown a depressing ability to lose matches against much lower-ranked opponents whom she should have walked all over.

 

"So far,  so good," is the story of this year's Wimbledon for Laura. A brilliant first round performance to beat the 10th seed, Kirilenko, and a workman-like showing in the second to dispose of Duque-Marino, brought her up against Erakovic in the third. For a set and a half, it looked as though this would be the end of the road for Laura as she failed completely to cope with the New Zealander's game, but then it all changed. From serving for the match, Erakovic lost 8 games in a row and, despite a blip when herself serving for the win, Laura still got home in style. If the first round was brilliant and the second workman-like, the third was full of character and determination. This girl may well go far in the next few years and her 4th round opponent, Kaia Kanepi, had better watch out.