An hour’s drive east of Montreal lies the industrial town of Granby. It is light years away from the bright lights of Paris, London and New York, but it seems an appropriate place for Britain’s former No1 Laura Robson to roll up her sleeves and get back to work.
This corner of Quebec has been home to Robson this week as she continues her comeback from a serious wrist injury that kept her out of tennis for 18 months and has led to her dropping from a high of 27 in the world rankings to her current position of 913. The 21‑year‑old has been competing in the Granby National Bank Challenger, several levels below the WTA Tour.
“The plan is to play as many matches as I can, this being hopefully one of many,” Robson said after Wednesday’s hard-fought 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 victory over the big-serving Japanese teenager Naomi Osaka. Having lost in the first round at Eastbourne and Wimbledon, this was her first victory in almost two years.
“When I first started playing in October the timing was still there, but anticipation is something you grow into. It’s a lot better than it was at Wimbledon. That wasn’t bad, but this is definitely better. It’s a step in the right direction and I’m very happy,” she said.
The tournament is a joint event with a total purse of $50,000 for the women. It is the smallest tournament Robson has played in nearly three years. The venue is essentially a tarted-up public club. As soon as the players vacate the practice courts across the street, ball boys and girls or residents eagerly fill them up.
The “facilities” for spectators consist of a row of portable toilets on Boulevard Langlois, right in front of the practice courts. To find a WTA-quality hotel, you would have to drive all the way to Montreal.
Robson warmed up on the clubhouse balcony before her match against Osaka, watching the spectators below walk right by her without a second glance.
“I have no issues with it. I knew I was going to have to play smaller tournaments to get back. I’m very happy to be here, and very thankful they gave me a wild card. To be honest, there were more people watching today than in Beijing, for example,” she said with a laugh. “So all good things.”
When she entered the arena, many of the spectators may have wondered why she rated a centre-court, night-session time slot. The public address announcer listed Robson’s accomplishments during the warm-up – the ranking of No913 had to be jarring if she was paying attention. Then she mentioned the 2012 Olympic mixed doubles silver medal with Andy Murray.
“Ooh,” murmured some in the crowd. She must be somebody. Robson met her doubles partner Erin Routliffe the day before their first match. The rookie pair upset the No2 and No4 seeds in comeback victories in their first two matches.
A 20-year-old Canadian who had a solid junior career and has taken the US college route, the amiable Routliffe was rather taken aback when she learned the name of her partner for the week.
“I was, like, ‘Laura Robson? The Laura Robson?’,” said Routliffe, who searched online to make sure there wasn’t a second, lesser-known, tennis-playing Laura Robson. “It was a little intimidating but I was just trying to hold my own, do what I do best on the court and try to help us gel as a doubles team,” she added. “Laura is super nice. She’s awesome.”
The logistics at the ITF Pro Circuit level require some getting used to. The balls are changed after every nine and 11 games, not seven and nine as they are at the top levels. Only two officials, instead of six, patrol the baselines. “Maybe you don’t have the same facilities that the WTAs have and whatnot, but you make do and work things out. It’s a good week,” Robson said.
Sadly for Robson, the winning run did not last. On Thursday she lost her second-round match to the little-known teenage American qualifier Ellie Halbauer, ranked No498, who gave her none of the pace she had enjoyed in her victory over Osaka.
Robson has a wild card to another Canadian event next week in Gatineau, Quebec – this one even smaller at $25,000 in prize money. Accompanied by her coach Mauricio Hadad, she’s getting on with things far from the glare of the spotlight.
After Robson’s interview, she politely excused herself. She needed to cool down on the exercise bike. The only available one was all the way back at her hotel.
