Sweet success at 16 for Robson

(PA)

Laura Robson celebrated her 16th birthday yesterday by becoming the youngest British woman in the Open era to have played in a senior competition at the Australian Open. The 2008 junior Wimbledon champion teamed up with Australia's Sally Peers to beat the Americans Jill Craybas and Abigail Spears 6-3, 7-5 in the first round of the women's doubles.

Robson, who will also be playing in the junior event here next week, was celebrating her birthday at a dinner last night with her sister, who lives here, her father, and Andy Murray, who was her mixed doubles partner in the Hopman Cup in Perth a fortnight ago.

The Scot Elena Baltacha, who was playing Dinara Safina in the third round of the singles this morning, also enjoyed success in the doubles, partnering the Latvian Liga Dekmeijere to victory over Lucie Safarova and Aleksandra Wozniak. Britain's Sarah Borwell and the American Raquel Kops-Jones beat Polona Hercog and Petra Martic.