Brit fights back tears after early Wimbledon exit and admits to 'shocking' level
Jodie Burrage fought back tears as she underlined how "disappointed" she was to exit Wimbledon in the first round with so many friends and family watching on at the All England Club.
Burrage had seen the likes of Katie Boulter excel on the opening day, but couldn't follow suit against American Caty McNally, who won convincingly against the homegrown star 6-3, 6-1 on Court 18.
The Brit missed Wimbledon last year and was determined to produce in front of her home crowd and cut a frustrated figure from the minute she spoke after her loss. Burrage's level, by her own admission, was "shocking" as she bemoaned several factors that contributed to her defeat.
The 26-year-old has made it past the first round at Grand Slams previously, but admitted she rolled her ankle walking down some stairs at Wimbledon last week which left her in considerable pain.
Her biggest frustration though was a failure to hit her level as her emotion became evident. She said: "Pressure is the wrong word I just wanted to do well. I'm past the point of feeling pressure at these events and I can deal with those kinds of things I just wanted more from myself.
"I know the work I've put in and I felt I deserved a better outcome than that. again, wasn't ideal the last few days what happened so that took any pressure off. It is more just for myself I know I can play so much better than that, I know I've got more in me than that.
"You know there's a bit of disappointment when you have everyone here watching you. It is disappointing when you can't play how you want to play, you feel like you've let them down. I'll speak to them and they won't say that, they'll tell me how proud they are, but it is that which hurts the most."
Her early exit could now allow Burrage to go and support her rugby star boyfriend Ben White, who earlier this week got a call-up to the British and Irish Lions. He replaces injured scrum-half Tomos Williams ahead of the series Down Under.
She said: "That's a conversation I will havbe to gave with my team. Maybe considering ankle and stuff I might be able to and obviously Australia is a very easy country to find tennis court and train so I might be able to.
"I was always going to have a three - four week training block as I've been going for nine months straight since I came back and I think that is coming into play a little bit. It has just been constant so I do need time training."
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