Watching young Laura Robson in action against Kim Clijsters in the US Open it was tempting to think that we have finally found a top class female player to take on the mantle once worn by Virginia Wade and Sue Barker.
Over the years, there have been a few British women who've threatened to come good, most notably Jo Durie, Annabel Croft and Sam Smith, but none has ever quite made it to the top. However, Robson seems a cut above these and last night beat one of the best players of recent years fair and square. Kim Clijsters gave her all and played well, but Robson matched her stroke for stroke and point for point. There was nothing flukey or lucky about this vistory - Robson was simply the better player and refused to lie down in front of the Clijsters steamroller.
Clijsters had already made it clear that this would be her final tournament and Robson effectively brought her career to a premature close; the Belgian star had clearly hoped to play at least another match or two, but it was not to be. Nonetheless, she accepted defeat with the good grace for which she has always been renowned - a smile, a few kind words and a wave to the crowd who have come to love her. Without doubt, one of the nicest people ever to grace a tennis court.
As one career came to its conclusion, another could easily be about to really take off. At just 18 years old, Robson is already the youngest player in the top 100 of the womens' rankings; she is tall and powerful and her mixed doubles run at the Olympics in partnership with Andy Murray was more than adequate testimony to her temperament and ability to deal with big occasions. One has the feeling that this girl is headed for greater success than British womens' tennis has known in many years.
Robson's 3rd round opponent in the US, Na Li, will know that she's got a real fight on her hands.
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