Robson beaten but shows she has bright future

Of course it would have been a huge shock if Jankovic had emerged as anything other than the winner. Robson after all was the youngest in the women's draw, is ranked 234 and was facing a top ten opponent for the first time.

But the Serb can have her fragile moments, as she did when losing to the unheralded American Melanie Oudin in the third round here last year, and Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam tournament where she has never reached the semi-finals. Furthermore, both Robson and Jankovic must have expected to get on court much earlier than they did, after Roger Federer's preceding match stretched to five sets.

It was because of that earlier joust that the two women played much of the first set in front of half-empty stands, as spectators took a short break. The left-handed Robson began nervously, double-faulting to hand Jankovic an immediate break, and making the same error to trail 2-5. But at that moment Jankovic wobbled without warning. Robson decided she had nothing to lose by going for her shots, and suddenly broke to love. Jankovic regained control to hold three set points at 0-40 on Robson's serve, but the youngster creditably rescued them all before Jankovic duly mopped up the set.

By now Robson, the 2008 junior champion here, was finding her feet and understanding that the Centre Court could work for her. The second set was when she came into her own against an opponent with nine years more experience. She found her first serve in a big way and at difficult moments she would produce an ace, or an unreturnable delivery.

Ultimately she would notch up as many outright winners as Jankovic, not to mention 13 aces. Even when she went down a break for 3-5, she still came up with some highly convincing attacking forehands, so much so that she actually broke back.

At 6-5 Jankovic saw two match points saved confidently by Robson, who delivered an ace to take the set into the tie-break. Only here did mental tiredness begin to show, with Robson over-thinking her play to lose a couple of points she might have won.

Jankovic held another trio of match points, yet needed all three to finally rid herself of her opponent. Robson's first Centre Court appearance earned her well-earned applause, and if she fulfils her promise she will be back in the same arena many times in the years to come.

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