 Robson also reached the final of the Junior Australian Open in January |
Laura Robson will become the youngest player to compete at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis in 1995 after being given a wildcard for the Championships. The 15-year-old English girl, who won the junior title last year, has been given a place after the Lawn Tennis Association invoked a special clause. It states that, in exceptional circumstances, juniors can be given a place whatever their world ranking. Robson's world ranking of 482 is below the LTA's cut-off point of 250. The teenager is determined to handle the pressure of her entry into the main draw of Wimbledon and enjoy the experience. "From the sounds of it, there is going to be quite a lot of pressure so I am just going to have to deal with that," said Robson. "I don't know what I am going to do but all I can do is go on court and try my best. Then, win or lose, if I have tried my best then I cannot be unhappy." Also handed wildcards for the tournament, which starts on 22 June, were British men Alex Bogdanovic, Daniel Evans, Josh Goodall and James Ward. They are joined by former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero and 18-year-old Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, last year's junior champion. In the women's draw, Robson's fellow Britons Elena Baltacha, Katie O'Brien, Melanie South and Georgie Stoop have also been given wildcards, along with American teenager Alexa Glatch, veteran Kimiko Date Krumm and Michelle Larcher de Brito.  | JONATHAN OVEREND BLOG |
Portugal's De Brito, 16, came through qualifying to reach the third round at this year's French Open, where she also caused controversy with her on-court shrieking. In 2008 Robson became the first Briton to win the Wimbledon girls' title since 1984 when she beat Thailand's Noppawan Lertcheewakarn. Robson continued her grand slam success by reaching the girl's final at the Australian Open but she was beaten in the second round of the French Open last week. The teenager was born in Australia and spent the first six years of her life in Singapore, but now lives just five minutes' walk from the All England Club in Wimbledon.
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