When Elena Baltacha lost the first set to Agnieszka Radwanska without winning a game yesterday she recalled the experience here last year of her predecessor as British No 1, Anne Keothavong, who was beaten 6-0, 6-0 by Dinara Safina.

Three years after she carried her tennis bag out of Roland Garros for the last time, Justine Henin made an emotional return yesterday to her favourite stadium in the world.

Teenager Laura Robson stormed into the semi-finals of the Australian Open girls' championships with a comfortable 6-1 6-0 victory over Ester Goldfeld today.

Justine Henin could be the Australian Open champion but will not even have a world ranking when an updated list is published on Monday. The 27-year-old Belgian, who returned to competition earlier this month after 20 months in retirement, is through to the semi-finals of the year's first Grand Slam but will remain unranked until she has played three tournaments.

British teenager Laura Robson progressed to the third round of the Australian Open girls' championship after beating 11th seed Yulia Putintseva in three sets today.

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.

Whitaker and Kanselier fall short despite much improved ride

Equestrianism: Despite her best efforts on the 17-year-old Kanselier, Ellen Whitaker failed by 0.26 seconds to catch Belgium's Dirk Demeersman on Phaline in yesterday's Dick Turpin Stakes at the Horse of the year Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

The former world No 1 Maria Sharapova ground out a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the Pan Pacific Open final yesterday.

Mind and body were both frazzled by the heat at Wimbledon yesterday, especially during Victoria Azarenka's tense three-set win over Nadia Petrova. Playing under the midday sun Azarenka boiled over while her Russian opponent had to be treated for heat exhaustion.

The Wimbledon girls' champion Laura Robson has taken over as the world's top-ranked junior. The 15-year-old succeeds Thailand's Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, whom she beat in the final at SW19 last July.

What now for Laura Robson, 14, and a Wimbledon champion already? Following her impressively mature win in the girls' singles on Saturday – 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 against Thailand's Noppawan Lertcheewakarn – she is Britain's most famous teenage girl.