WIMBLEDON 2012: Baltacha uncertain about future after Olympics

By The Sport Review

ELENA Baltacha insists she has not decided whether she will carry on playing after the London 2012 Olympics.

UNCERTAIN: Elena Baltacha is undecided about whether this month's Olympics will be her farewell to the All England Club (Getty Images)

The British No2 suffered a second-round defeat by defending champion Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon last week and admits she had planned to hang up her racquet after this summer’s Games.

But the 28-year-old refused to rule out the possibility of continuing and would not say whether this was her last Grand Slam appearance at the All England Club, with the Scot set to return to SW19 for the women’s singles at London 2012.

“Last year I said, ‘I think after the Olympics I’m probably going to retire.’ But no – I’m going on a week to week basis,” said Baltacha.

“I think if I still really enjoy it, if I still believe I’m improving and I still love it, then I’ll carry on.

“I don’t put any pressure on myself. I love competing, and probably more so now than I ever have before.

“I’m just going to deal with it on a week to week basis. If I get to a week where I say I don’t want to do it anymore, then I will stop. At the moment I want to keep going.”

Baltacha, who has struggled with injuries recently, will compete at the London Games alongside British No1 Anne Keothavong.

And she admits she is thrilled to have the chance to play at Wimbledon for the second time this year.

“I still can’t believe it, to be honest,” she continued. “The last two months have been quite hard but I’m over the moon. I’m looking forward to it.

“It will be a real pleasure to be back here. I love coming back to Wimbledon, I always have. This was my 11th Wimbledon, so to be back here in a few weeks will be amazing.”