Vicky Duval was reduced to tears as she returned to Wimbledon for the first time since getting a clean bill of health following her battle with cancer. Duval was only a teenager when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma during the 2014 Wimbledon qualifying stages.
After undergoing chemotherapy, the 20-year-old American is healthy again and her appearance in the grass-court Grand Slam yesterday was a major boost to her a comeback, which has also been hampered by a knee injury.
Duval, tipped for the top until the illness struck, is a lowly 572nd in the world rankings as she tries to work her way back to peak form. And the emotion of returning to Wimbledon proved too much as she sobbed on court after just three games of her 6-0, 7-5 loss to Russia’s Daria Kasatkina.
“At about 3-0 in the first set, I just felt really overwhelmed. I wanted to crawl into a ball,” Duval said. “Obviously I’m super happy to be here but inside I was driving myself crazy. It took a set to get me out of it. In the second set I pulled a towel over my head in case something was going to happen. I was like, ‘I don’t want anybody to look at me’. It was just a lot of emotions and they were mostly positive but I know what I’m capable of and the fact I’m not there is eating inside of me.”

Murray detects British buzz
World number two Andy Murray believes he might not be the only British player to thrive at this year’s Wimbledon and has backed some of the other 14 local hopefuls to make their mark at the grasscourt grand slam. Murray, who has long been the sole focus of hopes of British success at the All England Club, is almost certain to reduce that number by one when he meets English wildcard Liam Broady in the first round of the men’s singles.
Wildcard James Ward did not last long either, having lost to world number one Novak Djokovic in opening round yesterday. Murray’s brother Jamie, however, will be looking for a second grand slam doubles title of the year with Brazilian Bruno Soares, while Dominic Inglot won a doubles title with Canadian Daniel Nestor in Nottingham earlier this month.
“With 15 British players involved in the singles competitions at Wimbledon this year and the recent success in doubles for my brother Jamie and Dominic Inglot, it does feel like there’s a bit of a feelgood factor around British tennis at the moment,” Murray wrote in a BBC column.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect, but this tournament is a big chance for some of them to make their mark and you just hope they do themselves justice, because it’s tough working your way up through the rankings.”
Among others from the country, British women’s number one Johanna Konta has been seeded 16th, while Heather Watson and Naomi Broady are in also in the women’s main draw. Murray, who lifted a record fifth Queen’s title earlier this month, has been reunited with Ivan Lendl, the former Czech great who coached him to Wimbledon glory in 2013.