Brits gone wild--Robson wins junior girls' Wimbledon title

Fourteen years old and unseeded, Laura Robson of Great Britain has won the 2008 junior girls Wimbledon championship in a match that I enjoyed as much as any I saw in the last two weeks, and more than many I saw. Robson defeated the talented third seed, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. A shot-maker with great confidence, Robson showed off just about every aspect of her aggressive game today. For a set and a half, she was just a bit better than her opponent, but then she had an obvious mental lapse and began to make errors. Lertcheewakarn took advantage of this vulnerability, became more aggressive, and took the second set. But from the beginning of the third set, Robson was in charge (though the scoreline does not reflect the fight put up by Lertcheewakarn).

When Robson won her division of the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships, she also had a second set slump, after winning the first set, 6-0. She then came back to win the third set, 6-0. So she has already learned how to change gears when she needs to, which is the mark of a champion.

Robson is already getting telephone calls from concerned people in her camp, advising her what not to say in interviews. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to be paying much attention to them. Robson is cheeky and amusing, and I hope we hear much more from her--and from Lertcheewakarn.