Dunne not downbeat after Wimbledon qualifying defeat
The 30-year-old from Hemel Hempstead native had her bid to advance in Roehampton ended by France's Alizé Cornet 6-4 6-3 but Dunne is determined to stay positive, revealing that she derived satisfaction from being able to compete in the first place after struggling with injury over the past few years.
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And having rediscovered her love for the sport, Dunne believes the only thing that matters at the end of the day is enjoying yourself to the fullest.
"I'm disappointed that I lost but I'm happy to have been here and played," said Dunne. "After Wimbledon last year I had to have shoulder surgery and I wasn't sure if I'd get back to playing so it's been nice to get back here competing so I'm happier than I feel should be for losing a match!
"It was difficult and there were a lot of lows when trying to come back, a lot of doubt. Definitely sometimes as tennis players we associate our whole personas with tennis and when that's taken away form us, it makes it pretty tough mentally.
"I still feel uncomfortable on the court but I've loved being out there in front of the crowd again and enjoying the stuff I was doing.
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"It's about trying not to judge yourself too much when coming back.
"There've been a lot of lows and I didn't expect to have this type of high so soon afterwards. In that sense, it's been nice to have and to enjoy over the last few days."
Dunne's battle with Cornet rounded off an action-packed programme of grass court tennis in Roehampton, but while her contest against the Frenchwoman ended sooner than she would've liked, Dunne was delighted at the chance to showcase that she still has what it takes to compete at this level.
Dunne added: "Cornet makes you work for the points. She's very smart with how she plays. She makes it difficult for you to find your game sometimes with her slices.
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"Both of us were giving each other a run for our money with the drop shots but it was just a fun match to play with nothing to lose.
"She's been such a great player and it was a privilege to play against her.
"I definitely wouldn't be coming back if I didn't love competing which I still do and I'm going to keep going and end my career on my own terms when I'm healthy and not enjoying it as much as I do right now."
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
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