Plucky Duckworth back at Wimbledon

After a horror injury run James Duckworth is just glad to be back playing tennis and doesn't mind having to play one of Wimbledon's favourites in round one.

James Duckworth of Australia in action

James Duckworth will take a nothing-to-lose approach into the first-round showdown. (AAP)

James Duckworth won't die wondering as he attempts to ambush German ace Alexander Zverev and deliver an early Wimbledon boilover.

After an overdue run to last month's French Open quarter-finals, Zverev is among the title favourites on London's hallowed grass, where he lost a fourth-round five-setter thriller to 2016 finalist Marin Cilic.

But happy just to be back in a grand slam main draw after a nightmare battle with injury, Duckworth will take a nothing-to-lose approach into Tuesday's first-round showdown with the fourth seed.

"Obviously it's a tough draw and there are definitely better draws out there, but I've been injured for such a long period of time that to be honest I don't really mind so much," Duckworth said ahead of his first appearance at The All England Club since reaching the second round in 2015.

"It's just that I'm really excited to get out there and play. Really looking forward to playing this special place."

Languishing at No.748 in the world, Duckworth is playing Wimbledon on a protected ranking.

His woes began after the 2017 Australian Open.

"I had foot surgery and then a few months later I had shoulder surgery and then I had another foot surgery in August, and then I had another foot surgery in January (2018), and I had an elbow surgery in January," he said.

After all that, the 26-year-old then suffered an abdominal strain that forced him out of the final at a Futures event in Turkey.

"So yeah, it's been a pretty tough time," Duckworth said.

"The main one was probably my foot - the navicular stress fracture. They went in there, put a couple of pins in my foot and that's a pretty long surgery to come back from, anyway.

"Then on top of the other ones I had so it's been a rough time.

"It was brutal mentally. It was really tough. There were definitely times where I thought I maybe wouldn't come back."


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Source: AAP


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Plucky Duckworth back at Wimbledon | SBS News