Mauresmo ready for title defence

Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo is confident she will be fit to defend her title at the All England Championships.

Mauresmo has been beset by injury problems this season and struggled with a torn thigh muscle as she crashed out of the French Open in the third round.

The 27-year-old only returned to practice yesterday but she hopes to play at Eastbourne next week and insists nothing will stop her defending the Wimbledon crown.

“My fitness is better. I had some trouble during my last match at the French Open. There was a little tear in my thigh, but I have had all the normal treatment,” she said.

“I knew I had three weeks to get ready and in my mind there was no way I was going to miss Wimbledon.

“I hit the ball for the first time yesterday at the British Embassy in Paris, the only grass court we have in France!

“I am still not 100%, I need to get some confidence in my movement, but it felt good. I am pretty confident it will be OK within the next few days and I am looking forward to being at Wimbledon.”

But following her French Open experience, Mauresmo is acutely aware that just being fit for day one of Wimbledon will not be enough.

Mauresmo’s preparations for the French Open were badly hampered by an operation in March to remove her appendix and then the thigh injury.

It left her short of match fitness and meant she arrived at Roland Garros “with no particular goal” for the tournament.

That will not be the case at Wimbledon and Mauresmo knows how important it is to get some matches under her belt at Eastbourne next week.

“The main lesson from the French Open would be that when you are not quite ready, losing is no surprise.

“You need a certain amount of preparation to play at your best level,” Mauresmo said, after launching the new Reebok tennis range.

“I have to make sure I don’t start playing again too early – but I hope to play some matches at Eastbourne next week. If I am not ready for that, then Wimbledon.”

But Mauresmo may have to scrap plans to play doubles at Wimbledon with Tatiana Golovin in order to give her the best chance of defending that title.

“I am supposed to be playing doubles at Wimbledon with Tatiana Golovin but we will have to see. Because of the injury I have had I might have a lighter schedule,” she said.