British tennis hopes make a good team

By arjones

IF Laura Robson and Heather Watson fulfil their potential, North Devon tennis fans may have seen the beginning of one of the sport's greatest — and friendliest — rivalries.

They may not have set the Tarka Tennis Centre alight with dazzling performances during the AEGON Pro-Series Barnstaple.

But there were enough flashes of quality from Britain's great hopes to show why they each have a junior grand slam under their belt and why so much is expected of them.

Virtually inseparable off the court all week, Robson and Watson even teamed up in doubles for the first time, a partnership they hope will become regular after knocking out second seeds Sarah Borwell and Melanie South 6-2, 7-6(6) before losing to Anna Gerasimou and Katalin Marosi in the quarter-finals.

This rivalry is likely to be more Venus and Serena than Connors and McEnroe.

Robson said: "We're really good friends, we get on well and Heather is too nice for us to be rivals.

"I was so pleased for her how she won the US Open. She really deserves it because she's been working so hard.

"In doubles, I'm used to my partners getting really angry with me but Heather doesn't do that. I think we will definitely play together again."

This time last year, Robson had just earned a world ranking for the first time by appearing in Barnstaple three months after winning the Wimbledon junior title.

She is still only 15 but you would have thought the bubbly, always smiling 17-year-old Watson was the younger of the two. Maybe, less than four weeks after winning at Flushing Meadows, she just hasn't been in the spotlight long enough for some of the fun to go.

"It was quieter this year — I like it better," said Robson, who lost in the first round of the singles and doubles in 2008.

"Last year was difficult. Every time I lost a match I felt like there was a big crowd of people around me asking me why."

It was Watson's appearance that attracted the national media to Tarka at the start of the week.

"I'm not expecting more attention," she said optimistically. "You don't want the attention," replied Robson

While Robson lost in the first round of the singles to Naomi Cavaday, Watson beat second seed South in straight sets. She buckled in the next round though, going down 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to another top junior, Kristina Mladenovic of France.

A makeshift grandstand of garden and gym benches was created around Court Four for their doubles quarter-final, when they took the more experienced Gerasimou and Marosi to a super tie-break.

Their disappointment in defeat was eased by the chance of a few precious days at home — Florida-based Watson back to Guernsey to see her Dad for the first time since August, and Robson to clean her bedroom.

"I expect I will find my dog's hair all over my bed," said Robson. "She's called Ella and she's a black Labrador, so it's black hair on my nice white sheets. The door is supposed to be kept shut but she only goes on my bed."

British interest in the singles was maintained by Lisa Whybourn, the wildcard making a surprise appearance in the quarter-finals where she lost to Sofia Arvidsson.

The 18-year-old described her second-round match against sixth seed Lenka Wienerova as "the biggest win of my career".