Robson suffers Kanepi defeat to leave Murray as last Brit standing at Wimbledon
By MIKE DICKSON
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Laura Robson was left rueing the handful of key points that got away as she was bundled out of Wimbledon 7-6, 7-5 by experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi to disappoint a packed Court One.
The 19-year-old British No 1 had her chances in the first set and with a little bit more composure at the crucial junctures of the match might have booked her spot in the quarter-finals rather than perishing in 95 minutes.
Robson – trying to become the first British woman to make the last eight since Jo Durie in 1984 - served for the first set at 5-4 and then got herself to 5-2 up in the tiebreak but could not quite summon up the nerve to ram the advantage home against the 28-year-old world No 46.
Over and out: Laura Robson crashed out of Wimbledon at the fourth-round stage
Slipping up: Robson stumbles during her defeat by Estonia's Kaia Kanepi
Down and out: Robson's Wimbledon came to an end after some battling displays
Net loss: Robson walks away from Court No 1
Eyes on the ball: Robson plays a forehand shot
The overall point count of 84 to 79 told of how close the match was but there were a few too many unforced errors and a couple of pivotal double faults from the British player that made the difference.
Even though there will be huge frustration at missing out on the opportunity to make the last eight before her teens are out, the experience gleaned will be invaluable for a player who is very much a work in progress.
Robson has cleaned up her double fault habit largely in this tournament but she sent one down to the usual chorus of gasps on the first point of the game after forcing a break to lead 5-4 in the first.
She then had two serves to gain the first set at 5-4 in the tiebreak and double faulted again as the Estonian drew on her past experience of making four Grand Slam quarter finals.
The Robson forehand was also a little more erratic than usual but it is easy to be harsh one someone unaccustomed to coping with the huge attention heaped upon her this fortnight.
There seems little doubt she will be back in future years to spearhead British hopes and is bound to learn from this.
Shake on it: Kanepi and Robson clasp hands after their match
Robson made her dissatisfaction at failing to make the last eight clear afterwards.
She said: 'I'm really, really disappointed. I thought she played a really solid match. She can hit the ball incredibly hard off the ground, so it was tough for me to stay in the rallies. But I had my chances here and there and I just didn't take them.'
After going through what she described as a 'crazy' nine days which included messages of support from the biggest names in tennis, showbiz and politics, Robson struggled to deal with her own expectations.
'I was putting a lot of pressure on myself,' she said. 'At the end of the first set I had my chances. I served for it and I did in the tie-break as well.
'At that point, I was just trying to will myself to play unbelievable tennis when just making a serve would have been fine.
Support: The fans get behind Robson but it was not quite enough
Winner: Kanepi celebrates after her victory
'But as cliched as it sounds, it's all part of the learning experience. The more I get myself into those kinds of situations, the more I'm going to benefit.'
Robson had ended her last three games by saluting the crowd that had come to cheer her on, but today she failed to do so.
'That was because I lost, and I was just trying not to cry,' the teenager added.
But Kanepi was surprised the crowd did not put more pressure on her during her win, saying: 'I think the crowd wasn't that bad actually.
'When she won a point it was a bit louder than normal but they didn't clap when I double-faulted or anything. I think it was really good.'
Kanepi is one of the biggest names in Estonian sport but when asked how her victory would be received at home the 28-year-old said: 'I don't know, maybe with champagne.'
The Estonian is now confident of progressing beyond the quarter-finals, adding: 'My serve and baseline game were good today and I guess I will have to hit hard in my next match, that's always important on grass.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2352633/WIMBLEDON-2013-Laura-Robson-loses-Kaia-Kanepi.html#ixzz2Xp5qqy00
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