Lucy Shuker is determined to enjoy every second of Wimbledon, as she switches her attention to doubles after singles defeat.
Shuker lost 6-2 6-0 to South Africa’s Kgothatso Montjane on Wednesday, ending her singles hopes in the first round but the 44-year-old refused to be too downbeat.
The Dorset-based player will team up with Angelica Bernal in doubles action in SW19, where the British pair will face Li Xiaohui and Zhenzhen Zhu in the quarter-finals.
And Shuker revealed that she is hoping by focussing on the experience, the results will follow.
“It’s always lovely to come back to Wimbledon,” she said. “The courts are great, the grounds are amazing. I always say every year, to be here is a dream come true for any tennis player.
“You will always have a few nerves but you go out there and just enjoy it. I am at the stage of my career where I want to embrace these moments because they won’t last.
“You have to enjoy them; a scoreline can be what it is but you can enjoy the moment. A win or a loss doesn’t define you as a tennis player or as a person. I will go out there and give it my all and see what happens with the scoreline.
“It is going to be tough. Zhu and Li are a great doubles pair. I played with Aniek [van Koot] in Barcelona and we beat them on the clay court in an epic three-setter.
“Zhu plays a really tricky game and Li can hit the ball so hard but I do feel that Angelica and I, if we can bring our A games together, they can complement each other really well.
“Angelica hits a really good, strong heavy ball which can push them back and I have the hands to hit some drop shots and angles.”
Shuker will be hoping doubles success can be the perfect way to bounce back from her loss in the singles.
The 44-year-old admitted Montjane simply had too much for her on the day.
“She did incredibly well varying the serve out wide, even on the deuce side which she has been working on,” reflected Shuker.
“That was tough, but I felt that I served pretty well at times and at times I made good choices.
“It’s not necessarily the most exciting at times because rallies are short but I try to use my flair.
“That will never change, that is part of me as a tennis player and I love to bring that. Hopefully I can bring that to the doubles.”
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