US OPEN
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Date: 31 August - 13 September
BBC coverage: Live text commentaries on the website from 1600 BST each day, regular updates on 5 live, full commentary on 5 live sports extra in week two, both finals on 5 live
 Robson came within one win of qualifying for the women's main draw |
Laura Robson and Heather Watson ensured Britain has two players in the quarter-finals of the US Open girls' singles with victories on Thursday. Robson, 15, produced a commanding display to beat Belgium's 12th seed Tamaryn Hendler 6-2 6-1 in 72 minutes. Standing between the British number two and a place in the semi-finals is American Lauren Davis. British number one Watson beat German Annika Beck 6-4 7-5 and next plays second seed Noppawan Lertcheewakarn. The 17-year-old from Guernsey, seeded 11th, will find it harder going against this year's Wimbledon girls' singles champion. Thailand's Lertcheewakarn battled back from a second-set blip to overcome 15th seed Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway 6-2 3-6 6-1.  | 606: DEBATE |
Watson made a blistering start in her match against the unseeded Beck - storming into a 5-0 lead - but then then had a mini-collapse as the German fought back to 4-5. Fortunately for Watson, Beck failed to take her game point in the 10th and the Channel Islander was able for force a third break of serve to seal the opening set. The second set was almost a carbon-copy of the first as Watson raced 5-1 up before allowing Beck to level at 5-5. She held her composure, however, and opened up a 6-5 lead before breaking serve to clinch the win.  Watson next plays Wimbledon junior champion Noppawan Lertcheewakarn |
Robson, unseeded at Flushing Meadows, will be confident of beating wildcard Davis after her impressive performance against Hendler. After falling a break down early on, the 2008 Wimbledon girls' singles champion broke serve in games two, four and six of the opening set. She was broken when serving for the set at 5-1 but hit back immediately to wrap it up in 37 minutes. The second set was a one-sided affair after both players held serve in the opening two games. Robson held again for a 2-1 lead but then broke in games four and six before serving out the match. "I liked her game style," Robson said of Hendler. "I liked how she hit it hard, it was easier for me. I was looking to hit percentage shots rather than going for the lines so I think that's why it seemed a bit more fluid. "It was a lot harder than the score suggests because there were a lot of games that went to deuce and she had a couple of break point chances. "So it wasn't a routine match but I thought I played well."
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