Great Britain Is Gaining Strength In Women’s Tennis

Written by: Staff on 26th April 2013

Great Britain Is Gaining Strength In Women’s Tennis

epa03614478 Laura Robson of UK serves during her match against Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 07 March 2013. Arvidsson won the match. EPA/PAUL BUCK |

Ever since Laura Robson won the Wimbledon junior title as a 14 year-old and Heather Watson followed up by winning the US Open girls tournament, levels of expectancy have been mounting in British circles of the duo becoming world-beaters at the top level.

Towards the end of 2012 Watson became the first British winner of a WTA title since 1988 while at the US Open and then the Australian Open, Robson gathered a hat-trick of Grand Slam title winning scalps by beating Kim Clijsters, Li Na and Petra Kvitova.

Things have got tougher for both as 2013 progresses, Watson dropping off the tour with glandular fever (mononucleosis) while Robson has lost a series of matches with quite lamentable form in the final set, casting doubts over her fitness.

The culmination of Robson’s poor run came in Britain’s Fed Cup defeat against Argentina when she crumbled against the much lower ranked Paula Ormaechea. And Britain’s captain Judy Murray admitted she was worried expectations have escalated too high for her young duo.

Murray maintained: “I think this season had the potential to be tricky for them, it’s one thing moving up from a ranking of 110 to inside the top 50 when there’s not so much pressure on you and it’s another thing when you are actually there.

“It’s about learning the business of being a top tennis pro. They are young and very normal, fun girls who are good tennis players, but the difference between making the top 50 and making the top 30 and staying there is consistency of performance, learning how to handle the grind.”

Murray has underlined the fact to both girls that they cannot expect an easy ride and hard work is paramount. “The further you go the more sacrifices there are to be made, the more discipline is needed,’ said the captain whose own son, world no.3 Andy Murray is a perfect example to the pair.

“You are looking for those extra elements that are going to make the difference and get you into the top 30. It’s about working hard, adding things to your game and ensuring you are in the best physical shape, so you are ready to compete with what you are up against.

“One of the things is learning to live with the expectation and dealing with it. It is all a maturing process and we shouldn’t expect too much too soon.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Andy Murray, British tennis news, Heather Watson, Judy Murray, Laura Robson, Tennis, US Open juniors, Wimbledon, Wimbledon tennis news