Home
Ros Satar

Robson claims Top 100 win, Moore out

Ros Satar
Tennis

http://gty.im/538607322

By Ros Satar

  • Laura Robson claimed her first Top 100 win in almost three years in the qualifying rounds of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham
  • No joy for Tara Moore in her first tour level quarter-final as Zheng Saisai surges past her 6-4 6-2

BIRMINGHAM, UK – Former British No. 1 Laura Robson picked up her first Top 100 win for the first time in almost three years as she bids for a place in the WTA Premier event’s main draw.

Robson beat World No. 65 Varvara Lepchenko in straight sets 6-4 6-1 in the opening round of qualifying, after a torrid period following a 17-month injury layoff for a serious wrist injury.

With her current ranking of 308, Robson had used up the last of her protected rankings during the clay court season, and is a long way from her career high of No 27, but in recent matches has shown the signs of promise that catapulted her to the top of the British rankings.

The match sharpness is returning, breaking just once to clinch the first set, before coming from a break down to claim an emphatic win over the American, and she will face Katerina Siniakova in the next round.

In Nottingham, Tara Moore, last Brit standing, could not replicate her win over eighth seed Christina McHale, as she fell in straight sets to Zheng Saisai, who ended British No. 1 Johanna Konta’s run in just the second round.

She had chances to break the Chinese player, but could not quite convert, as she was defeated in straight sets 6-2 6-4.

It had been a landmark run for the World No. 280, who admitted to BBC Sport that she had also struggled a little with injury after battling her way to this stage through qualifying:

“It was there, I could feel it, but I can’t fault Saisai for the way she played, she didn’t give me much of an opportunity.

“Every loss is a disappointment. It’s been a great week and I have to take the positives and look forward to Birmingham next week. I do think I’ve improved a lot of things I needed to and going forward I am really excited about how things can progress.”

Moore will face Konta in the opening round of the Aegon Classic, with the main draw starting on 13 June.