Her secret weapons... happy pants and a wicked sense of fun: How Laura Robson is set to become the new darling of British tennis 19-year-old British No1 Laura Robson is winning new fans this year She caught nation's attention with stunning Wimbledon win on Saturday By Guy Adams Sense of humour: Laura Robson larking around during a practice session yesterday Like any normal teenager, Laura Robson teases her parents for failing to grasp the nuances of fashion, pop music and modern technology. Only last week, the chirpy 19-year-old humoured a televised victory press conference by talking about her mother Kathy's habit of sending text messages at the most inappropriate moments. "She always texts me during the matches," Robson complained, with a roll of her eyes. So when I get off the court, I've got, like, eight messages to read, generally about catching the ball toss! Many a watching parent cringed with recognition. A few days earlier, Britain's No 1 was telling a 50-something journalist about her passion for techno and "dubstep" music, which she listens to at high volume before playing. "That always gets me pumped," she said. At the moment, I'm a little bit obsessed with Rudimental. The blazer-wearing interviewer gave her a blank look. Ask your daughter! Robson teased. She'll know! It was typically bubbly stuff from a young woman whose compelling journey to Wimbledon's last 16 was cemented with a gripping come-from-behind victory over New Zealand's Marina Erakovic on Saturday. Robson's winning smile and natural exuberance on the courts has wowed the crowds. But it's the cheeky sense of humour which has cemented her status as the new darling of British tennis. On Thursday, for example, she reduced a different press conference to tears of laughter when a reporter wondered what she thought of mooted plans for a "battle-of-the-sexes" game between Andy Murray and Serena Williams. Child prodigy: Laura as a child playing doubles with her father with a racquet nearly as big as her Would the two players "get it on," the questioner asked. "That," replied Robson, "is interesting wording. I think everyone would watch that! Barely had the guffaws subsided than Robson began joking about her newfound friendship with Harry Styles, the lead singer of pop band One Direction, who had sent her a good-luck message via Twitter, prompting a deluge of envious replies from his female fans. "I looked in my replies," she said, "and it was just, like, thousands of these messages, saying, "Who is she?" I was, like, wetting myself because it was so funny. I think I've gained 20,000 followers and they have no idea who I am! Until now, she added, the only famous person to have contacted her on Twitter was footballer Wayne Rooney. Unfortunately, he got her name wrong, calling her "Robinson." Cue more laughter. Indeed, by the standards of modern tennis, where most press conferences are as interesting as watching grass grow on Centre Court, Robson's knockabout banter is a breath of fresh air. Puppy love: The British female No 1 is a keen animal lover But then this child prodigy, who won Junior Wimbledon in 2008, at the tender age of 14, and turned pro the following year, has always been cut from a more colourful cloth than her peers. Two years ago, she Tweeted a photo of herself "planking" (the practice of lying face-down in an unusual place) on the table of Sue Barker's commentary box at the All England Club. Last winter, during a tournament in China, she staved off boredom by filming a spoof "Gangnam Style" video with best friend Eugenie Bouchard, a 19-year-old Canadian player. Co-starring the likes of Maria Sharapova and French men's star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the slickly produced film, in which Robson dances outside Beijing's Olympic Stadium and on the Great Wall of China, has clocked up almost half a million views on YouTube. Its starry line-up is a reflection of Robson's popularity on the tennis circuit, where - unlike many older stars - she likes to socialise freely with her peers and rivals. She particularly enjoys team dance contests in which she wears her "happy pants" - a pair of striped baggy trousers. Robson's comments on Twitter reveal her to be a typical teenager, who likes to talk about concerts, dance games on the Nintendo Wii, the television show Game of Thrones, and restaurant chain Nando's. Officially single, she also displays a healthy obsession with actors Henry Cavill and Eddie Redmayne, and talks occasionally about her beloved black labradors, Ella and Kiri, who emigrated to Greece a couple of years back when her father, Andrew, took a job there with a shipping firm. The pets are the reason why Robson's mother Kathy, who is unable to secure a dog-sitter, has been absent from the family box at Wimbledon. Top form: Laura Robson serving against Marina Erakovic on day six of Wimbledon "I'm doing OK without her here," says Laura, who fears that if her Mum did come over it would break the routines she's relied on to get this far. Robson was born in Melbourne, to parents who hold dual Australian and British nationality, before emigrating to Singapore aged 18 months thanks to her father's career with oil company Shell. The family moved to England when she was six, and took up residence in Wimbledon. The youngest of three children, Robson began joining in the family's mixed doubles matches "as soon as she could hold a tennis racquet," Kathy once recalled and, at the age of seven, entered a full-time tennis academy in London. Chirpy: Laura Robson has become a fan's favourite with her engaging manner on court By ten, Laura had been signed by sports-management company Octagon. Agent Abi Tordoff is a member of her "inner circle," along with recently appointed coach Miles Maclagan. At just 11, Robson was sponsored by Adidas, who have since been joined by the deep-pocketed Wilson, Virgin Active, and BMW, who give her a swanky free car, but refuse to pay her fuel bill ("the petrol really racks up!"). Given the growing public affection in which she is held, the new darling of British tennis had better get used to the perks of fame.