"Laura Robson is an English rose whose refined accent would fit seamlessly with a reading of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

But beneath that peaches-and- cream complexion, there is some colonial blood coursing through her veins that will pump strongly at this year's Hopman Cup, starting at Burswood on January 2.

The 15-year-old was announced formally to the tennis world at Wimbledon 2008 when she was given a four-minute standing ovation after beating Thai Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, this year's winner, on court one in the girls final.

It sent British tennis and the fawning tabloids into a top spin. Buckingham Palace could have been wallpapered with the clippings.

Then only 14, Robson became the youngest player since Martina Hingis to win the title and the first Brit since Annabel Croft in 1984.

The plaudits flowed like Wordsworth's prose.

Croft, a BBC commentator, said: "I think Laura is fantastic. There was a packed court there today and she was completely unfazed by it."

And, Carl Maes, the Lawn Tennis Association's head of women's tennis, compared Robson to Kim Clijsters, who lost a Wimbledon girls final 10 years ago. "She plays at the same level and on grass, perhaps even a bit better," he said.

Climb the Robson family tree, though, and it's not all strawberries and cream. Perth has contributed significantly to her gene pool.

First, mother Kathy, who was raised and lived in Hamilton Hill, married Andrew Robson, a chemical engineer from Queensland. The couple bought their first house in Bicton before moving to Melbourne, where Laura was born, and subsequently spent four years in Singapore before settling in London where they now have dual citizenship.

"We had left Western Australia for three years but never returned," Kathy Robson said from London. "We still pay storage fees for our furniture. God knows what it looks like now."

Next, there's Laura's uncle Larry, Kathy's brother and a hard-nosed former South Fremantle backman of the 1970s who didn't dwell on pleasantries on the field. Currently he gets his football fix, and sometimes frustrations, with full-blooded support for the Fremantle. He has the passion.

He shares (mandatory) his sporting love with Laura who has accepted willingly the Dockers paraphernalia from him and has gladly worn it to the few games she has seen live at Subiaco Oval.

And, further up the tree, are Laura's grandparents, Laurence and Pat, both in their 80s. They have never seen Laura play live and are counting down the days.

"My dad is in his 80s and has never been on a plane," Kathy said. "He says he is going to drive to Perth from Albany. Gran and grandad have never seen Laura play live and going to Perth is a big deal."

Laura is no stranger to WA and last year spent Christmas in Albany.

"I've been to Perth more times than I can remember. Almost every holiday we had we came back to visit relatives in WA," Laura said.

"Uncle Larry did buy me a Dockers scarf and my gran bought me a small Dockers bear which sings the Dockers song when you press its hand. I've never worn the scarf outside of Perth. It would probably get a few weird looks in London.

"I've seen two games, both of them very entertaining. They sometimes have it on a sports channel on TV so I'll watch it then."

Robson, who shot to the top of world junior rankings at the end of March this year and is currently 401 in the seniors, will partner gifted Scotsman Andy Murray (No.4) at the Hopman Cup.

It will kick off a transition year for Robson in which she'll mix her junior and senior commitments as she ramps up her exposure to the world's best players.

It's a balance not lost on the family, with WTA rules allowing Robson to play 12 senior events, though she will play juniors at the Australian Open.

"We always made a priority of family first," Kathy said. "When you leave your larger family behind you tend to become a self-sufficient unit. Friends then become the next best thing so Law's (Laura) friends are very important.

"Laura is a proper teenager. Concerts, make-up and clothes figure prominently. Laura has become very guarded, though, who she now becomes friends with, which is a little sad.

"School work has been tough. Not the learning part, just in England there are certain dates for the exams and they are scheduled the same time as the French Open.

"With internet access everywhere in the world, learning through tutors has become easier. Education is very important for Law's mental well being and the transition between child and young adult. If you stop learning, you stop growing."

Robson is a full-time tennis professional, training at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Paris and the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, London, under the supervision of coach Martijn Bok.

She is counselled by former child prodigy Hingis and most admires Clijsters for her victory in the US Open this year following the birth of her first child.

She is unfazed about being the youngest player at the Hopman Cup, though she will see some familiar faces, not the least Lleyton Hewitt who she met at Wimbledon five years ago.

"It doesn't bother me being the baby of the Hopman Cup," she said. "I'm usually the youngest in most tournaments but there will be a few other young girls playing in January such as (American Melanie) Oudin and (Romanian Sorana) Cirstea.

"It's definitely part of the learning process. I get to see what the older more experienced players do and learn from them as much as I can."

And though some people in Australia hoped Laura might one day choose Australia ahead of Britain, the penny has dropped.

"I know that some family members might be upset with me but I represent Great Britain which is something I'm proud of," she said."