LAURA ROBSON'S comeback to the Tour remains a work in progress after she suffered a morale-sapping defeat in the first round here yesterday.
The 21-year-old, in the early stages of her return after 18 months out with a wrist injury, put herself in a winning position against the Russian Elena Vesnina at Flushing Meadows, only to lose her way right when it mattered most.
Robson led 4-0 in the decider and was two points from victory at 5-4, 30-30 on the Vesnina serve but went out 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, a huge disappointment after a good start and having forged such a big lead in the decider.
It was a missed opportunity, a chance to move up 200 places in the world rankings from her current mark of 617 and for all the positives of her performance, the result was all that mattered to her.
“Any loss is tough but especially that one because if we are being honest, I should have won,” she said.
“In the third set I gave myself the best chance by going 4-0 up but for some unknown reason, I decided to let her lose the match rather than me go out and win it.”
“I think at this point in my come back, it’s very easy to make excuses and say ‘oh, well, it’s all part of the process’ but I don’t feel that way. I feel I should have been better.”
Robson will now go to Mexico for a couple of tournaments at the level below the main Tour, leaving Jo Konta as the lone survivor in the women’s event.
Konta extended her winning streak to 14 matches with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-0 win over the American Louisa Chirico.
The 24-year-old, who is set to rise to around 77 in the rankings on the back of her win here, will now play Wimbledon runner-up Garbine Muguruza of Spain.
And Konta said she is revelling in her new-found calm, thanks to time spent with a sports psychologist.
“The big thing is being able to relax,” she said. “I’ve let go a little bit and relaxed into things. I feel I’m carrying less tension around with me and obviously tension never leads to anything good.”
British No 2 Aljaz Bedene is into the second round after Ernests Gulbis retired at one set all, 3-0 down in the third, but James Ward was beaten in straight sets by Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil.
Women’s second seed Simona Halep and last year’s runner-up Caroline Wozniacki both won easily but French Open runner-up Lucie Safarova and semi-finalist Timea Bacsinsky both suffered surprise defeats.
One man who could hardly look more relaxed is Roger Federer, the world No 2, who looked composed and relatively cool in the brutally hot conditions as he steamrollered his way past Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 yesterday.
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