Robson goes down fighting to Jankovic
TALENTED British teenager Laura Robson shows she has the stomach for a fight after putting on a promising display against world No4 Jelena Jankovic on Centre Court.
The 16-year-old former junior champion was handed a wildcard for the main draw after rising to 234 in the world rankings.
And she showed just why she is so highly though of, batting back from a shaky start against the former world No1 to produce a rousing second set comeback before eventually going down 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).
Robson, who took former world No5 Daniela Hantuchova to three sets on her Wimbedon debut 12 months ago, had her moments, firing down no fewer than 13 aces and breaking back to love in the second set with Jankovic homing in on victory.
Meanwhile, British No1 Elena Baltacha served for the match against Croatia’s Petra Martic before going down 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, while Katie O’Brien came close to putting out Alona Bondarenko, only for the 28th seed to fight back to win 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 6-4.
The other Brit in action, Mel South, was well beaten, 6-1, 6-2, by Russia’s world No69 Regina Kulikova.
Five-time champion Venus Williams cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Rossana De Los Rios, but he biggest upset of the day saw French Open champion Francesca Shiavone crash out 6-7 (0-7), 7-5, 6-1 to Russia’s Vera Dushevina.