I need help, says Robson as slump reaches new low
By the time Laura Robson’s Australian Open was over Jo Konta had not even finished her previous event, let alone begun her first Grand Slam of the season. there was something almost poignant about the former Wimbledon junior champion being an early faller in yesterday’s opening qualifying round at Melbourne Park, while Konta prepared for her Sydney International semi-final.
British No 1 Konta was later to make it through to her first final of the season, emphatically beating the resurgent eugenie Bouchard 6-2, 6-2. She was this morning due to face world No 4 Agnieszka Radwanska in the final, having purred into timely form for Melbourne.
Long before Konta’s win over Bouchard, 22-year-old Robson had finished a thoughtful post-mortem examination of her seventh consecutive loss.
Robson is trapped in a spiralral of defeats largely caused by a chronic onic lack of confidence. the player who ho once seemed destined to be thee star that Konta has becomee revealed that she has now turned to a sports psychologist for help.
‘In the past I’ve been a bit sceptical but I’m at the stage where I’ll try anything,’ she admitted after losing 6-2, 6-4 to France’s Amandine hesse, ranked 205.
It never looked like being this way when Robson won junior Wimbledon at 14, nor when she beat Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova here before a packed Rod Laver Arena in the second round proper in 2013.
Konta, now 25, was a barely noticed loser in the second round of qualifying that year, while Robson was collecting what — it is easy to forget — was one of four wins over top 10 players in her career.
that was before the wrist injury that has derailed her and which is clearly testing her desire to make it back into the top 50. Winning a lower-tier tournament in August and then qualifying for the US Open looked like it might be a turning point, but that has not happened.
Now Robson has turned to psychologist Richard hampson, who has worked previously with Andy Murray. ‘It’s not going to be an overnight changechange,’’ said RobsonRobson, who turns 23 next week.
‘I wish there was a switch. I thought the US Open was going to be my switch. I went back to tournaments — felt good — but again just didn’t play how I wanted.
‘A lot has happened. I’ve missed a lot of time for someone my age. It feels weird because I know I’m still young but I started so young that I’m in this weird age group right now. there are so many young girls around but also everyone is starting to do well later in their 20s. But I’ve had a long time to kind of get used to it. It’s been my life.’
Robson concedes that she has to block out thoughts of her many appearances on the biggest stages, including a mixed doubles silver medal in the London Olympics. ‘you’re there to play whoever you come up against in those smaller tournaments. It’s not helpful or beneficial in any way to start reminiscing about the time I was on Centre Court.
‘I have to keep looking forward and hope I get to the point where I’m back there because of my ranking and how I’ve done.’
Does she ever think about how she and world No 10 Konta have almost traded places?
‘you never know, I might not have made it there. I might have but there’s no way of knowing and I don’t think it does me any good to start thinking like that.
‘Jo has had an amazing run, I don’t know that anyone thought she would have the jump that she did, herself included, but it happens. People jump up the rankings, and I hope I’ll be one of them.’
Robson did not use her wrist as an excuse for her ranking wallowing at 222 — incredibly modest for one with her natural ball- striking ability. She also pledged she still had the drive to fight her way back. time will tell.
Robson is still just about young enough to learn but has yet to acquire the work ethic and obsessive will to improve so evident in Konta. And partly because Robson was so good at a young age she has not banked the same experience that comes from years fighting through the grind of lesser events.
It is to those kind of $25,000 tournaments she is now returning, planning to play several in europe over the next month, mixed in with being part of GB’s Fed Cup team in next month’s zonal round.