Gabriella Taylor is determined to “just go for it out there” as she bids to make it through to this year’s Wimbledon.

The Southampton teenager is due on court later today to play her first round match at the qualifying competition for the 2017 Championships which begin next Monday.

Taylor is currently ranked 283 in the world and required a wildcard into qualifying which traditionally takes place at the Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton.

The desperate scramble for entry into Wimbledon means that players often learn the identity of their qualifying opponents at the last minute.

Such is the case with Taylor, yet no matter who the 19-year old faces she’s determined to give it everything in the first of potentially three matches over the next three days.

“I love Wimbledon qualies,” says Taylor who has been busy competing in several grass court tournaments across the UK in the build-up to Roehampton and Wimbledon.

“I have played Surbiton, Manchester where I beat the number two seed, and Ilkley where I played an excellent match against the world 107 Magdalena Rybarikova losing the final set 6-4.

“Last year I got through to round two (of the qualifiers) losing to a top player in Vania King in three sets. I’m going to put my head down and just go for it out there on the grass.”

Despite losing in the qualifiers for the Wimbledon ladies’ singles in 2016, Taylor’s age at the time also entitled her to enter Junior Wimbledon. Tipped as a potential champion, she instead was forced to withdraw at the quarter-final stage after being struck down by a mystery illness which left her hospitalised in intensive care for four days.

The incident led to rumours that Taylor had been deliberately poisoned, sparking a six-month police investigation which found no evidence of foul play.

Twelve months on, Taylor is determined to put the whole matter behind her and focus on the future.

“I feel my game is always improving but like all players there are some days when it just doesn’t work. When that happens, you just have to pick yourself up and start working harder.”