Laura Robson will bounce back to top, Andrea Petkovic says

Laura Robson's "raw talent" will eventually mean a return to the top 30, according to a rival who has suffered similar injury problems.

Andrea Petkovic, who beat Robson at last month's French Open, dropped from No 9 to the edge of the world's top 200 between 2011 and 2013.

The German is now back in the top 40 and safely through to the second round at Wimbledon, where Robson's first-round defeat condemned her for the time being to life on the second-string International Tennis Federation tour.

Serious wrist injuries have seen the former British No 1 slump from 27th to a ranking of 283 but all is not lost, according to Petkovic, who said: "I just see her talent, the raw talent's there so I wouldn't worry too much if I was her.

"It's difficult for her being in England: everybody expects a lot, so she just has to be patient and she will be fine. The wrist isn't an easy thing to cope with mentally.

"When I played her at Roland Garros, and when we shook hands at the net I told her 'Don't worry, you're going to come back', because I know you worry as a player.

"I was in the same situation. I was in the top 10 and I dropped down to 180, and I had to go through all of this.

"The most difficult part is that you get used to winning matches against a certain type of player, and players with a certain ranking, and all of a sudden when you come back you've lost your eye for the game.

"You make stupid decisions. You rush when you don't have to rush, stay too defensive when you should be offensive. Those are only things you can regain by playing matches, and the longer absence it is the more difficult it is to get back.

"So I really know how she feels, and I feel bad for her. Also I would like to tell her 'You're going to be fine', because I was fine also, it just took a while.

"I was much older when I had my injuries. If I can make it as an old horse, she can make it as a young puppy, right?"