Laura Robson’s two-year injury nightmare appears to be coming to an end as the former world No.27 bids to make her mark on the WTA tour this summer.
The 22-year-old spent almost 18 months away from the tour between 2014-2015 after undergoing surgery on her left wrist. The absence resulted in the Brit falling down the rankings to outside the top-500. Robson returned to the tour last June, competing in a series of ITF events as well as using her protected ranking to play at Wimbledon and the US Open. The long period away from the tour had a big impact on Robson, who won only three matches during her 2015 comeback before ending her season early.
This year has been more promising for the 22-year-old, who has already stated that she plans to play at this year’s French Open for the first time since 2013. Last week at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix she defeated world No.117 Klara Koukalova in the first round of qualifying to grab her best win since undergoing surgery. Following up on her recent win, Robson has won her first main draw match since 2013 at the Rabat Open in Morocco this week. In the first round of the tournament she defeated Morocco’s Ghita Benhadi 6-1, 6-1.
Robson’s triumph in Morocco on Tuesday coincides with a growing confidence for the former Wimbledon Girls’ champion.
“I’m not scared to hit [my serve] any more,” she told wtatennis.com.
“I am getting a couple of miles per hour on serve and the forehand, even if it doesn’t go in. It’s that nice feeling of not being scared to go for it anymore.”
Under WTA rules, Robson can still enter tournaments with a protected ranking. The 22-year-old is allowed to enter in up to eight tournaments within the first 12 months of her return. The Brit is hoping to make the most of this special rule before it expires in June.
“As much as I’d like to get more matches in at qualifying level and things like that, it would be a waste not to use [my protected ranking],” Robson said.
“I plan to play virtually all the clay-court season and the French Open and I think I’ll still have one left for the first week of the grass.”
In the second round of the Rabat Open Robson will play fifth seed Timea Babos. Babos is currently ranked 40th in the world and has a win-loss record of 15-9 on the tour this year. It will be the first time the two have played each other since the 2010 ITF Woking tournament. If Robson wins, it will be the first time that she has produced back-to-back wins on the WTA tour since the 2013 Guangzhou International.
