Tennis

Mauresmo looking for Wimbledon therapy

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-25 09:30

Champion Amelie Mauresmo hopes Wimbledon will provide the perfect antidote for a wretched 12 months.

Defending women's champion Amelie Mauresmo of France attends a news conference ahead of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London June 24, 2007.[Reuters]

Since lifting up the Venus Rosewater Dish last July, Mauresmo suffered a dip in form and has entered the winner's circle just once, in Antwerp in February.

"I'm just hoping that the grass season can really put me back to where I should be," said the Frenchwoman, who is scheduled to begin her title defence against American Jamea Jackson on Tuesday.

"I struggled a lot in the end of last year and again in the beginning of 2007. I definitely had some disappointing moments. I'm definitely looking forward to finding some confidence, some rhythm again."

The 27-year-old's fortunes went from bad to worse when she was diagnosed with appendicitis in March. The setback meant she had to make do with following tennis as a mere spectator on television for two months while she recuperated from surgery.

By the time she had finally regained her fitness, she was forced to make her comeback on clay, the most taxing of surfaces and one that Mauresmo has never managed to feel totally at ease on.

She won just six matches or red dirt and was happy to stash her claycourt shoes away at the back of her cupboard for at least another year when her French Open campaign ended in the third round.

Now back on her favourite grass, she feels her body and mind are once again on the same wavelength.

"To come back on clay made it a little bit more difficult. (My physical well being) was really concerning me for the last few months," said Mauresmo, who was runner-up to Justine Henin at the Eastbourne International on Saturday.

"It's been going on great since last week. I'm hoping it's really going to keep up like this and even improve."

She was also encouraged by her run at Eastbourne, as last year she lost her opening match at the Wimbledon warm-up event.

"I consider myself among four or five players who are able to get the trophy this year," she said.

On top of that list of favourites sits French Open champion Henin. With the Belgian taking an 11-match winning streak into the grasscourt grand slam, Mauresmo said: "She's (been) unbeatable for the last three or four weeks. Let's hope she's not for the next couple."