| Monday, 23 June 2008 Written by Helen Gilbert Elena Baltacha became the first female Briton to reach the second round by defeating Germany’s Angelique Kerber in a topsy-turvy match. The wild card, who has battled against injury and illness problems in recent years, sank to her knees in tears of joy after a net-cord on the final point helped her secure a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory against her 20-year-old opponent. Baltacha, whose best result at Wimbledon was a third round finish in 2002, raced away with the first set 6-3. But her backhand caused her problems in the second allowing Kerber to claw her way back and level the match. By the final set Kerber, who was beaten in the first round of her Wimbledon debut in 2007, looked to be the favourite, breaking Baltacha and securing a 4-2 lead. But 24-year-old Baltacha, who has slipped from number one to four in the British rankings since her glorious run in 2002, dug her heels in, with her never-say-die efforts delighting a fervent Court 11 crowd. She was broken in the next game, but the Briton again stood her ground, breaking back immediately and managing to cling on to her next service game. Clipping the net, a Baltacha forehand proved to be the winning point and prompted Baltacha to show her tearful but happy relief. Speaking after the match she said: "I am very emotional because this does mean a lot to me. I love playing tennis. It hasn't been an easy kind of road for me. But I think today more so it was just the relief that I knew I could win my first round." Baltacha also revealed she has been spending a lot of time in the gym to boost her fitness levels and protect her back. Looking ahead to her second round encounter with fellow wild card Jie Zheng she added: "She's a good player, she's coming up the rankings. It will be a tough match. As long as I just keep fighting, show my personality, just keep going, you never know. If I play really well it will be a really good match."
| Court 11 - Ladies' Singles - 1st Round | |
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