Robson relishing wild card prospect

1:23pm Sunday 6th July 2008

British prodigy Laura Robson clinched the Wimbledon girls' title and then warned ladies champion Venus Williams: "I'll take you down!"

The 14-year-old became the youngest winner of the girls' singles since Martina Hingis in 1994 - the year Robson was born - after demolishing Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 6-3 3-6 6-1.

And when asked how she would fare against Williams - who beat younger sister Serena in straight sets in Saturday's final on Centre Court, she replied: "I'd take her down!"

Victory makes Robson eligible for a wild card into next year's senior draw at the All England Club - and the teenage prodigy has set her sights on the very top.

"Hopefully now I can play in the women's draw - last year they gave the winner of the girls' singles (Urszula Radwanska) a wild card. Hopefully they will do the same again," she said.

Thai third seed Lertcheewakarn was battered into submission during a one-sided opening set that saw Robson's aggression rewarded with a series of winners.

After a shaky second, Robson maintained her composure to become the first British winner of the girls' title since Annabel Croft in 1984.

Despite her apparent calm, the teenage sensation insisted she struggled to keep her composure as she stepped out onto Court One.

"I didn't feel relaxed and composed. I thought I was going to be sick when I walked onto court because there were so many people watching," she told the BBC.

"In the second set I went a bit mad but got it back together and managed to win."

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