Laura Robson impresses in defeat

British teenage tennis sensation Laura Robson was knocked out of Wimbledon yesterday by Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, but not before giving the former world No 5 a big scare, leading 6-3, 3-2 with a break of serve at one stage.

The more experienced Hantuchova battled back to take the second set 6-4 in front of a partisan crowd of 4,000 on Court No 2, and took the final set 6-2 as the 15-year-old Robson tired and started to make mistakes.

"If I would have got killed love and love, then I would have a different opinion but it was not too different from the level I am already playing," Robson said, while her opponent, 11 years her senior, was complimentary about her.

"She had nothing to lose and could just take a swing at the ball," said the Slovak. "I was thinking, 'Gosh, that feeling is so good.' It was nice to see."

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Matt Scott, the Guardian: "Laura Robson's impressive grand slam debut has already sparked a battle of sponsors and agents. 's junior champion currently has two commercial partners: Adidas, her kit manufacturer, and Wilson, her racquet supplier. So far her parents have insisted it remains that way, not wanting her to make public appearances for sponsors while she is sitting her GCSEs."

Simon Barnes, the Times: "Robson smacked down ten aces and a further 21 of her serves didn't come back. That's a pretty impressive stat. It certainly marks her as a grass-country player and we Brits like that. There is nothing tentative and safe about her. She was probably going for it a bit too much, in truth, especially as the nerves bit, but it's a fact that if she can get that second serve under control without losing the venom, the grown-ups will find her increasingly hard to beat. She had Hantuchova in all kinds of trouble and looked the stronger player until the nerves cut in."

Mark Hodgkinson, Daily Telegraph: "For all those double faults would the wild card, who at one stage led by a set and a break, have gone on to defeat Hantuchova, a former world No 5? Perhaps. But it would be untrue and unfair to put this down as a missed opportunity because of too many missed second serves from Robson's racket, as the 2008 Wimbledon junior champion also smacked 10 aces, and plenty of service winners. Along with Pimm's, all-white clothing and grunting controversies, one of the great Wimbledon traditions is that a British wild card who has been paired in the first round of the women's tournament against a highly ranked Eastern European – usually an opponent with a long surname and long legs – threatens to win before fading away to defeat ·