IT'S almost 12 months since Claire Taylor hit a ball in anger on a tennis court, but she's about to put that right at Portsmouth today

This time last year, the 23-year-old from Banbury was preparing to tread the hallowed turf at Wimbledon, but an elbow injury sustained in America last July brought a temporary halt to her promising career.

The Centre Court at the All-England Club provided Taylor with her greatest moment when she lost 6-2, 6-3 to nine-times Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova in 1994.

Twelve months later, her chances of a place in the main draw were hampered by a struggle against injury and illness and she crashed out in the qualifying competition.

She was back in the public eye in 1996 when losing 6-4, 6-2 on Court 4 to Mary Pierce, but last year's first-round defeat at the hands of Corina Morariu saw the left-hander produce almost her final strokes of the summer.

"It's very disappointing not to be involved this year," Taylor declared. "Wimbledon has many happy memories, but I have time on my side and I hope to go back there one day."

It's been a frustrating time for the Bodicote girl, but she's eager to get back on court and start to win a few matches.

"I'm itching to get back into it, but I know I'm not going to win every game I play. Just playing in competitions again is a huge bonus."

Taylor vividly recalled the day when the injury forced the former British junior champion out of action.

"It was July 25 in a $25,000 Challenger tournament in America," she said.

"It took a few months to get to the root of the problem and it was December before I finally had surgery." The operation proved successful, but today's match on the National Girobank Tour will be met with just a little apprehension.

"I'm looking forward to it, but there's bound to be a few nerves," she admitted.

Taylor, still ranked 15 in Great Britain, has been keeping fit in the gym and training hard at her local club.

However, she's bound to feel aggrieved when reigning ladies champion Martina Hingis steps out at Wimbledon next week.

But a successful return on the south coast should make the next fortnight a little easier to bear.

While Taylor bids to put her injury problems behind her, fellow Oxon star Lizzie Jelfs has just finished her first-year exams at Loughborough University.

However, they coincided with her attempts to qualify for Wimbledon and the 21-year-old lost out in the first round.

"I wasn't expecting to qualify because I had been busy revising, but I really should have won the match," she recalled.

Jelfs is in Germany today playing club tennis in Hamburg, but could meet up with her Banbury friend and rival at next month's Girobank event at Nottingham.

Ranked 19 in Britain, Jelfs won three out of four Tour titles earlier this year and also had success in singles and doubles at a couple of Satellite events.

It was 1996 when Jelfs last featured at Wimbledon and, like Taylor, she will be an interested observer as results unfold at SW19.

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