Although the pressure cooker atmosphere of Roland Garros looms next week, France's [Images] Amelie Mauresmo is already looking towards Wimbledon [Images] as she seeks a first Grand Slam crown.
Despite having reached the world number one spot last year, the 25-year-old has yet to win one of tennis's four major tournaments in more than a decade on the tour.
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The pressure at the French Open has always proved too much for her and her best performances have come away from home.A runner-up in the Australian Open [Images] in 1999, she has reserved her best results in recent years for Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals twice in the past three years.
Her powerful, attacking game is well suited to the slick lawns of the All England [Images] Club and the world number three has opted to follow a tried and tested preparation schedule, signing up to fine tune her grasscourt game at Eastbourne.
"I had a great week last year," the Frenchwoman said. "It was a great way to prepare for Wimbledon...the courts were in many ways better than Wimbledon's and very nice to play on."
A semi-finalist at Devonshire Park last year, Mauresmo said: "I am looking forward to trying to win the trophy this year.
"It is always a strong tournament, with excellent players and it will be tough to win, but I am playing well and will give it a good go."
Mauresmo joins defending champion and US Open [Images] winner Svetlana Kuznetsova [Images] plus three-times Grand Slam champion Justine Henin-Hardenne on England's south coast.
Another former world number one Henin-Hardenne will be making her debut at Eastbourne.
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