Confidence boost for Robson

Laura Robson: Taking comfort from her two big wins at Flushing Meadows

Laura Robson will take a new found belief into the rest of the season after proving that she can mix it with the best at the US Open.

The 18-year-old claimed victories over Kim Clijsters and Li Na at Flushing Meadows before finally bowing out in the fourth round at the hands of defending champion Sam Stosur.

The Australian needed nine match points to finally see off Robson's challenge, though, and the leading names in the game have been queuing up to praise the young British player.

Robson's run should see her ranking climb to around 75th from her current position of 89, which will take her above Anne Keothavong to become British number two and to within a few places of Heather Watson.

And the former Wimbledon junior champion is well aware that the past week marks a big step forward in her professional career.

"I have to continue working hard until then and try and keep the level up in those four tournaments that I have done here."
Laura Robson Quotes of the week

Robson said: "I can definitely take comfort from the fact that I'm up there with the top girls in terms of level. I had two really, really great wins and a tough one yesterday (against Stosur).

"Going into my next tournaments, I can take a lot of confidence into them and try to play as well as I did here.

Level

"I said the other day that I felt like the level has always been there, it's just been putting it into the matches and managing to keep it for the whole match. I did it for three matches really so it's been a good tournament for me."

Robson has also impressed with her mental strength, being able to close out the big wins this time after coming close in the past.

"I felt like against Clijsters and also against Li Na I held my nerve pretty well. Serving out against Li Na was extremely tough, but I only needed one match point," she added.

"Against Clijsters as well I had two match points which didn't go my way, but I managed to hold it together and really force her to make a few more errors."

The teenager will now head home for a week's training before travelling out to Asia to begin the hard-court swing out there, starting with a tournament in Guangzhou later this month. She will then head on to Tokyo, Beijing and Osaka.

She said: "I have to continue working hard until then and try and keep the level up in those four tournaments that I have done here.

"I'll go into Guangzhou and Tokyo with a lot of confidence. I think the courts in Asia will suit me quite well because they're generally quite fast. I'm really looking forward to it."

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