Robson claims last-eight spot in senior doubles

(PA)

Laura Robson's sparkling run Down Under brought the 16-year-old Briton another memorable victory in the senior doubles here yesterday. Robson and her Australian partner, Sally Peers, reached the quarter-finals by beating Vera Dushevina and Anastasia Rodionova, who are both ranked in the world's top 50 in doubles, 6-3, 6-3.

Peers and Robson, ranked No 229 and 298 respectively, needed a wild card to take part and had never played together before. Robson was a late replacement for Peers' scheduled partner, who pulled out with injury. Having knocked out the No 12 seeds in the previous round, Peers and Robson will now play either the No 3 seeds, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Nuria Llagostera Vives, or the No 15 seeds, Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska.

Robson was due to play her first two matches in the junior tournament earlier today. The beaten finalist from 2009 was facing Australia's Belinda Woolcock in the singles before teaming up with her fellow Briton, Heather Watson, in the doubles against Eugenie Bouchard and Luksika Kumkhum.

Watson, the US Open junior champion, suffered a surprising first-round defeat in the singles, losing 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 to China's Hao Chen Tang. "Before the match I was warming up great, playing well and striking the ball well, but from the first point I just never got into it," Watson said. "I was framing way too many balls, making way too many mistakes. I just never felt comfortable. I don't think I was believing in my shots today. I haven't played a tournament in quite a few weeks now and I didn't play a warm-up tournament before this. I just never let myself get into it."

Of the two Britons competing in the boys' singles, Oliver Golding beat Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-4 6-4, while Jack Carpenter was beaten 6-2, 6-4 by the No 10 seed, Brazil's Guilherme Clezer.