Laura Robson keeps flag flying

The teenage sensation put her own first round exit in the ladies' draw last week behind her storming through the juniors' competition. Robson, 16, won here last year and is ranked 238 in the world.

But at junior level she is head and shoulders above her peers. Robson opened her junior account this week with a 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Risa Ozaki in just 42 minutes.

In her second round clash this afternoon with American Krista Hardebeck it looked as if Robson might repeat the dose after cruising to a 6-0 lead in the first set which lasted just 17 minutes. In the second she won 6-4 after being made to toil harder.

In the first set Hardebeck's serve almost broke down and Robson's searing left-handed forehand was able to pass at will. Robson was able to break her opponent's serve with barely a break of sweat.

But credit to the American who pulled herself together for the second set to not only break Robson's serve but make her work far harder to stay in touch. Instead Robson was forced to draw on all her experience of playing at a more exalted level.

This was probably why Robson was able to manoeuvre herself back into the match outlasting her opponents on long energy sapping rallies. She eventually earnt two match points which she needed no second invitation to convert.

Robson's match on Court 12 followed straight on from a disappointing showing from a British hope in the boys' tournament Liam Broady who was dumped out in straight sets by another American Denis Kudla 7-5, 6-2.

Wild card entry Broady broke Kudla in the second game, but the Ukrainian-born seventh seed was stronger in baseline exchanges and broke back in the third.

Broady made a number of unforced errors as Kudla broke in the third game and again in the seventh and cruised through the second set.