Defending champion Laura Robson has been knocked out in the third round of the girls’ singles at Wimbledon by Holland’s Quirine Lemoine.
The 15 year-old was dogged by a back injury throughout the near two-and-a-half hour match which ended 6-2, 4-6, 8-6.
Having lost the opening two games, Robson appeared to be in discomfort midway through the third when, following a heavy duty backhand, she was persistently rubbing her middle back area.
The second seed called for her trainer during the break and was then granted a medical time out. The treatment appeared to have done the job and, pulling herself back in to the match, Robson reduced her opponent's lead, and at 3-2 down looked like she could over come her shaky start.
It was not to be, and failing to find her rhythm, Robson was a set down and in need of further treatment.
The second set was a different story. Despite indicating to her family that her back was causing her considerable discomfort, Robson had more control.
Hitting her first ace of the afternoon together with a series of double faults from her 17 year-old opponent, the Briton got the confidence boost she needed and she levelled things out taking the set 6-4.
She was in trouble again in the final set; broken twice early on, Robson yet again found herself behind and at 5-3 the dream of back-to-back titles looked to be over. But the fight was not over. Refusing to go down without a fight Robson broke Lemoine in the 10th game pulling the score back to 5-5.
The resurgence of form did not hold out however and despite breaking Lemoine to take a brief lead, Robson’s Wimbledon dream cam crashing to an end after 2 hrs 17 mins.
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