Читать книгу Laura Robson - The Biography - Tina Campanella - Страница 11

Laura was 14 years and 166 days old when she played her first match at Wimbledon. She was already an impressive 5ft 7in, her serve had already reached speeds of 107 mph, and she had lost only 9 of the 27 matches she had played that season.

But no one honestly expected her to progress very far in the tournament – not her coaches, not her family, not the crowd.

This is because it was Wimbledon – the most coveted tournament of the season – and she would be playing against girls much older and more established on the junior circuit. Girls who were as hungry for Wimbledon glory as she was, young women who had already tried and failed to win, indeed even individuals who had beaten her before.

It would be good experience for a young tennis hopeful: a chance to experience the pressure of a big match or two and ready her for future success.

So no one could have expected what would happen next.

In her first match, taking place on Court 19, the sun shone down on Laura as she faced her opponent, the USA’s Alexa Guarachi. The British player made short shrift of the blonde, who was three years her senior, and took her down 6-0; 6-4.

Next she had to play American top seed Melanie Oudin – the girl Laura had pushed herself so hard to try to beat just days before at Roehampton. At 17, Melanie was three years older than Laura. A defensive counterpuncher, her speed and footwork had been integral to her early success and had certainly got her noticed during this, her first professional season. She was even being touted as the new successor to the Williams sisters. Anyone in the know would have bet on Oudin defeating Laura again. But Miss Robson had other plans.

Laura rose early, and had a morning practice to prepare herself for the competition. Waiting for her match to begin, she felt good about her form.

Four hundred spectators crammed themselves around Court 7 to watch the battle begin. Among them were NTA (National Tennis Academy) coach Carl Maes, Fed Cup captain Nigel Sears and, interestingly, Billie Jean King.

Laura looked determined as she walked out on court, her fists clenching in anticipation. She started with purposeful groundstrokes, throwing Oudin off-guard and pinning her to the baseline. Fully in control, her solid hits dragged the American into parts of the court she wasn’t entirely comfortable in.

It was blisteringly hot. One tennis fan fainted in the intense heat, but Laura didn’t break a sweat. Murmurs of appreciation came from the crowd as she showed sparks of the competitive fire that lurked within her. She kept her focus, and uttered only a few small grunts of encouragement to herself as she clearly outclassed her opponent.

After just half an hour, Robson had taken the first set, 6-1.

Those who had just been sunning themselves courtside suddenly gave the match their full attention, and were shocked when Laura took the second set, 6-3, to triumph over a floundering Oudin. It was an impressively mature performance, and the British fans were beside themselves.

‘It was really good,’ said Robson in her first proper post-match interview. ‘There were so many people supporting me, lots of British fans, so it was a really good atmosphere.’

But, while she celebrated her win, she knew she had to keep focused on her game. Beating Oudin was just one small step towards Wimbledon glory. British hopes were faltering after Andy Murray had crashed out of the tournament, so all British eyes were on Robson the following evening, when she was scheduled to meet Holland’s Lesley Kerkhove in the third round.

As the match approached, Virginia Wade settled into her seat to watch the proceedings – keen to see the new girl in action.

Kerkhove put up a good fight, but Laura put up an even better one, assaulting her opponent with a barrage of super powerful hits that the Dutch girl struggled to return. Virginia Wade began to wonder if she was watching a future British champion in the making. And, when Robson won 7-6; 7-5, she was glad she’d been there to see it.

The next day, Laura’s face appeared in the national newspapers. There was general curiosity and interest in the phenomenon that was Laura Robson. Who was this ice-cool young girl, who was causing such a wave of excitement to pass through the British crowds?

Everyone wanted to know.

Whereas just days before she had walked from locker room to court and back again without turning a single head, she progressed into her quarterfinals match against ninth seed Bojana Jovanoski under the glare of photographers’ lenses and television cameras and the gaze of fascinated spectators.

Laura was understandably nervous as she made her way on court. It was a lot for her to handle. Nothing and no one could have prepared the fresh-faced teenager for the burden of expectation that was suddenly being foisted upon her. She was still showing signs of nerves as the match began, and she dropped three games in the first set.

But then something changed.

As Laura focused solely on the task in hand, she found that the crowd, cameras and pressure faded away. And after that point the Serbian didn’t have a chance.

The British player quickly retrieved the deficit with a series of crisp groundstrokes that were too accurate for her opponent, and took the set 7-5. Even when she surrendered her serve at the beginning of the second set, spectators were becoming slowly more convinced about how the match would end.

Robson had settled to her task on Court 18 and as she clinched victory on the 16-year-old Serbian’s serve – with Jovanoski dumping a forehand into the net – Laura became the face of Wimbledon, 2008.

The deafening cheers could be heard echoing around the All England Tennis Club, and as she made her way back to the locker room a swirl of young boys enveloped her, begging for her autograph.

Laura was in the semifinals – a British girl on her way to Wimbledon glory, lifting the spirits of a nation that had recently felt so let down by their sports stars. ‘Tell Laura We Love Her’, screamed the newspaper headlines, and reporters clamoured to get quotes from her parents and her circle of coaches.

‘I hope we can see her playing on Centre Court one day,’ Kathy told them. ‘That’s her dream, what she wants. We’re just along for the journey.’

Carl Maes was cautiously optimistic when asked about Laura’s future, saying: ‘I was full time with Kim [Clijsters] when she was 14 and I travelled extensively with Justine Henin when she was 14. Laura plays that level of tennis. But she needs to keep on making the jumps she has in the last six months.’

Laura needed to stay grounded. It must have been exciting for her to have become an overnight media sensation, but she still had a job to do.

Her semifinal clash was with Romana Tabakova, and took place on a jam-packed Court 3. Thousands forsook the delights of Henman Hill to watch tennis’s new British darling take on the Slovakian.

The stakes were high for both girls, but during the first set Laura steadily chipped away at her opponent, determination etched on her young face. She was surprisingly calm and composed, and the crowd could hardly believe she was just 14.

When Tabakova double-faulted in each of her service games, Robson was invited to take advantage and it was clear that the set was inevitably hers.

‘Come on, Laura, mess her up!’ shouted her brother Nick.

After Robson took the first set, Tabakova was under pressure. And in a display of bad form, she took a long toilet break in an effort to break Laura’s stride.

It worked – but only temporarily.

At 4-3 down on her advantage, Tabakova tried another tactic – a sly, underhand serve. Not technically illegal, it was nonetheless a shocking display of sportsmanship, and earned the Slovakian a chorus of boos from unimpressed spectators.

Stranded on the baseline, Laura put her hands on her hips and gave the umpire a quizzical look. The point was given to Tabakova, but the watching crowd were now fully behind Robson, who had so far played fair and true. When Tabakova later asked for confirmation that a forehand was long, the umpire didn’t have time to respond before a voice from the crowd boomed out: ‘Well out, love…’

Laura finished the match off with a 7-5 second set win.

The court erupted into cheers and Laura had to struggle through a tide of autograph hunters to make her way to the packed press conference.

Robson was in the final of the girls’ singles at Wimbledon – the first Brit to make it there since Annabel Croft in 1984, and the only Brit left in the 2008 tournament.

Everyone wanted to hear what she had to say.

For the first time in her life, bodyguards formed a protective circle about the youngster to shepherd her through the crowds, while her delighted grin was being captured by dozens of photographers.

‘It’s really, really good,’ she told the press scrum, after being asked how she felt. ‘An overwhelming experience. Indescribable. I didn’t think I would get to the final at the start of the week.

‘I had some good results in the past three or four months so it was kind of expected – just not this soon.’

When she was asked about Tabakova’s underhand tactics, Laura gave the reporters their first experience of the dry, sharp wit she would eventually become known for off court: ‘It was the first time I’ve ever seen that in my life,’ she remarked innocently. ‘It worked so fair play to her. But I don’t think the crowd liked it very much.’

The journalists grinned silently to themselves.

Laura had been forced to learn her media duties quickly, and she was tackling the press as impressively as she had her opponents. But she was still a teenage girl – the youngest player at Wimbledon that year – and it was this that captured the nation’s hearts…

‘I’ll just do my usual routine before the final,’ she said humbly about the weekend ahead. ‘I’ll have dinner at home and then not do much in the evening.’ But, as a twinkle appeared in her eye, she added: ‘But I’m really looking forward to tomorrow because I get to pick out a dress and stuff for the Champions’ Ball.

‘I’m looking for something a bit simple – Jelena Jankovic wore a bright-pink one last year. I don’t think I’ll be going down that route. So, something simple I guess. I like blue.’

The press lapped up her every word, laughing at her barbed comments before concealing a round of ‘aws’ when she shyly admitted she was nurturing a crush on a fellow tennis player.

‘Who will you invite as your guest to the ball?’ asked a reporter, to which Laura responded that she had no idea.

‘Have you got your eye on anyone?’ they pressed, keen for column inches.

‘No…’ she said. ‘Apart from Safin.’

She was referring to Marat Safin, a Russian with smouldering good looks, who at that very moment was losing to Roger Federer on Centre Court.

Bringing the talk back to sport, Laura next gave the press pack a brief glimpse into her life as a tennis star in training. Britain was hungry for any scrap of detail about their new teen prodigy – even her eating habits.

She described how her strict diet meant that she had to cut out a few favourite dishes. ‘I have to watch what I eat a lot with the nutrition,’ she said. ‘I like pizza but I don’t really get to have it that often.’

Over the next few days, tennis fever swept through the country.

Annabel Croft had commentated on the match between Laura and Tabakova, and told the press: ‘I think Laura is fantastic. There was a packed court and she was completely unfazed by it.’

Bookmakers Ladbrokes immediately offered odds of 20–1 against her winning the Wimbledon women’s title by 2020, and spokesman David Williams said: ‘People are really backing Laura and the odds have plummeted. It’s the lowest price we’ve ever offered for someone so young.’

Carl Maes, now bristling with pride, said: ‘She plays at the same level [as Clijsters did] and, on grass, perhaps even a bit better.’

Laura was riding the crest of a wave of publicity that was carrying her like royalty to her final match – which would be against 16-year-old Noppawan Lertcheewakarn from Thailand. But, waking up to find the press outside her bedroom window on the day of the final, she found herself struggling to quell her rising nerves.

She’d had a restless night’s sleep.

The normally ice-cool, newly crowned princess of tennis would have a lot to overcome before the Champions’ Ball that evening – which she had bravely asked Safin to accompany her to. His response had perked her up as she readied herself for the match. ‘To Laura, I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the ball but good luck.’

And so, with her heartthrob behind her, her family in the crowd and the hopes of the nation resting heavy on her shoulders, she stepped out onto Court One. She was greeted by the sight of 11,000 eager spectators and instantly felt sick as she scanned the hopeful look on so many of their faces.

As the match began, the crowd was unusually subdued and the atmosphere seethed with anticipation. Every spectator simultaneously quashed their rising excitement and refrained from roaring out the hopes of success they were collectively harbouring. Perhaps it was an awareness of her tender age, or maybe it was the memory of so many past British hopes crumbling to dust. But, aside from the odd quiet chant and a sporadic ‘Come on, Laura!’, nobody dared risk putting the teenager off her stride.

Having steeled herself for the challenge, Robson made an assured start to the match – her power overwhelming the diminutive Lertcheewakarn as she secured an easy break.

The third seed struggled to contain Laura’s aggressive style and Laura quickly raced to a 3-0 lead. But she began to stutter when her opponent picked herself up and stormed back to 3-3.

It took all Laura’s strength to find fresh momentum, largely with the help of her punishing serve and forehand – and she took the set without conceding another game. But she was clearly rattled and Lertcheewakarn only needed one opportunity to capitalise on her failing confidence: when Robson squandered a break at 3-2, the tenacious Thai found her fight and Laura simply fell apart.

She had come so close to achieving something so great, but now she could feel victory slipping away and she was angry and scared. The country was counting on her to win – in fact, the country believed she would win – and now a little voice was telling her she was letting everyone down.

Her new ice-cool composure melted, and to the crowd it was suddenly very clear just how much hard work it usually took to keep that calm exterior intact. Laura was still a child emotionally and now, unfortunately, she reacted like one. She threw her racket to the ground, screamed and admonished herself with a stream of negative words and angry gestures.

With her focus more on her own failure than the game, there was nothing she could do to prevent Lertcheewakarn from drawing level with her 6-3 success.

It had all come down to the third and final set, and Laura had to regain her composure before it began. She dug deep and, with England’s sporting fate in the balance, she somehow found her inner strength.

She quickly went 2-0 ahead in the decider and all of a sudden her momentum was back. This time it was unstoppable.

‘Robson’s Rockets’ – as her explosive serve and forehand were dubbed after the game – took Lertcheewakarn apart, shot by shot.

After an hour-and-a-half of heart-stopping drama, the last shot was played and the crowd began to roar. Laura looked over to her mother and whispered: ‘I can’t believe it.’

It was a sentiment that was being echoed throughout the country. Laura Robson had won a Wimbledon title – for Britain!

Laura’s father, Andrew, put his fingers in his mouth and whistled wildly, but he was drowned out by the deafening screams of joy. Her brother, Nick – who had shared his bedroom with Laura so that her coach could take her room for the tournament – winked at the camera.

Finally, Britain had something to celebrate.

And it was all down to a 14-year-old schoolgirl who had only held a British passport for four months.

Laura watched proudly as the Union Flag was draped over the trophy table. Ann Jones, Wimbledon winner in 1969, walked proudly out on court with a smile on her face and the girls’ singles trophy in her hands.

As she presented it to Laura, who raised it high above her head, the crowd roared anew. It was a victory for everyone.

Kathy Robson was still stunned when the reporters gathered around her to hear what she had to say: ‘It’s a lonely place, being out on a tennis court, but she has shown the right spirit,’ she said emphatically. ‘Laura is just a 14-year-old girl, that’s the way we see her and we want to keep it simple. I’m so proud of her, as I am proud of all my children. Laura has done this by working hard and playing tournaments since she was seven.’

When asked how the family planned to celebrate, Kathy smiled, continuing: ‘I think my husband will take me out for a meal. I don’t know if Laura will want to be seen with us – she’s 14, she doesn’t want to be seen with her family – but if she does we could take her to Pizza Hut, or somewhere like that. She does like pizza.’

Displaying the kind of down-to-earth parenting that had made Laura into the grounded young woman the nation had fallen in love with, Kathy was adamant that Laura’s win wouldn’t go to her head.

‘She’s just a member of the family. The jobs she does round the house still go on,’ Kathy said firmly. ‘She still has to make her bed in the morning and put the dishes away.’

Laura was refreshingly honest when she spoke to the BBC: ‘It was so good today, as all the crowd were behind me and it was an overwhelming experience. I didn’t feel relaxed and thought I was going to be sick when I walked out on court because there were so many people watching.

‘In the second set, I went a bit mad but I got it together and that is how I won I think.’

Her excitement was visible for all to see, and she blushed when she was asked whether she would be going to the Champions’ Ball with her heartthrob Marat. After revealing the contents of his good luck letter, she quipped: ‘I think he’s a bit too old for me anyway…’

Over on Centre Court, Venus Williams had just won her fifth Wimbledon title, after defeating her sister Serena.

It was likely that Laura would be given a wildcard into the main Wimbledon draw in 2009, where there was a chance she would come face-to-face with Venus Williams, the American powerhouse.

So how did Laura feel about the prospect of that terrifying moment?

‘I’ll take her down!’ she said boldly, buoyant with her tender success.