Robson sent packing in Paris

Laura Robson could not make the most of her second chance at the French Open as she lost Anabel Medina Garrigues in the first round.

The 18-year-old Londoner lost from match point up in the final round of qualifying on Friday, but was handed a place in the draw as a lucky loser on Sunday when Silvia Soler-Espinosa pulled out with an ankle injury.

But it always looked like being a tough assignment against Medina Garrigues - the Spaniard's 10 titles on clay are the most of any active player.

And the gulf in experience and quality on the surface proved too much for Robson as her 29-year-old opponent completed a 6-2 6-1 victory.

The first three games got away from Robson - playing her first French Open as a senior - pretty quickly, but she dug in well and began to match her opponent.

The 18-year-old's natural power must be the envy of many players ranked significantly higher and she pushed Medina Garrigues, twice creating chances to retrieve the break - but she could not take them and another break gave the Spaniard the first set.

Robson needed a steady start to the second set but again she was broken early and, after missing two more break points in the third game, she began to get a little bit wild.

She at least avoided being swept in the second, holding serve at 5-0 down, but the end was swift in coming, Medina Garrigues repeating her straight-sets victory over Robson in the second round of the US Open last year.

Despite the defeat, Robson feels her game is in good shape heading into the grass-court season.

Robson said: "It was a really tough one, because she is such a hard player to play, especially on clay. She's so experienced and doesn't give any free points basically.

"I definitely think that I should have taken the opportunities on the break points in the first set and at the beginning of the second set.

"But it's hard to know what to do on those points, especially against someone as experienced as her. I can either step back and make the ball, but then the reason I have the break points in the first place is because I was playing aggressive.

"So it's a very fine line, and it's something that needs to be worked on. I'm sure I'll get it in the end."

Robson's only previous experience at Roland Garros came as a junior, so making the main draw at a fourth successive grand slam was a significant achievement and provided valuable experience.

Clay is certainly not the teenager's natural home but she is hoping to learn from Maria Sharapova, who has gradually become a force on the surface.

Robson said: "It's definitely a surface that I can continue to improve on. I'm going to put a lot of work into getting better on it.

"You look at someone like Sharapova, and she's made massive strides on clay. She definitely has the sort of game that I would like to be playing on this surface."

Robson will now head home and will begin her grass-court campaign at the ITF tournament in Nottingham next week.

The teenager said: "I played a lot more matches this clay season than I did last clay season, so that's always a positive.

"I feel comfortable with my game. There is definitely lots of things I can improve and get more consistent at, my first serve especially. On grass that's going to be a big weapon I think.

"But in general I feel good going into the grass. I'm going to play in Nottingham, Birmingham, Eastbourne and then Wimbledon, so hopefully I'll have quite a few matches before Wimbledon."

Robson has been dogged by niggling injuries throughout her career so far and the latest was a foot problem that forced her out of a tournament in France earlier this month.

"It's not completely healed, but it's getting better," added Robson. "I'm still going to play all of the grass tournaments I think. I'm able to handle a little bit of pain. I'm a big girl."

The former Wimbledon junior champion also revealed that she and fellow British young gun Heather Watson are hoping to be given a wild card into the women's doubles at the Olympics.