Normal service resumes for Elena

Eventually the Felixstowe weather relented, and a few polite claps greeted 18-year-old Baltacha's arrival on court to resume her match against 25-year-old Manisha Malhotra of Indonesia, ranked 398.

One hour previously they managed five minutes' play and got to 1-1 before the English summer flexed its muscles.

"Bally's nervous for this match," confided Jones. "Hardly anyone knows that her opponent beat her in the quarters here last year. Bally will have to change her game."

She won 6-4, 6-2, although she took her time closing out the match. Jones watched from the back of the court, alongside fellow coach Jo Durie and Baltacha's mother, Olga. The other spectators, predominantly elderly, did not let the match interrupt their continuous chat.

"Back to reality, isn't it?" grinned Baltacha afterwards. "Wimbledon was an amazing experience. I learned so much about the game and myself, there are so many things I have to improve on. But it was exciting and gave me a big boost. It's great to be in the top 200.

"The grass here is pretty good actually, much better than last year when it was a bit bumpy. They've flattened it out. Obviously it's not like Wimbledon. The attention levels aren't like Wimbledon either, thankfully. That was weird. I don't like full-on attention all the time. I'm quite shy."

Felixstowe at least is vaguely familiar to her from infancy. Her father Sergei played football for several seasons 10 miles to the northwest at Portman Road, the first Soviet import into the English game. Baltacha acquired her Scottish accent when Sergei switched to St Johnstone, although she is now based in Enfield.

"I'm trying to buy a flat there but it's so expensive. That's why I've had to put most of the (Wimbledon) prize-money in the bank - damn! I have been shopping since I got the cheque, although I haven't gone bananas. I bought a top and a ring.

Not too bad. Then over the last few days I've been practising again, indoors in Ipswich on Tuesday after the whole day's play was rained off here. I've got to keep working hard, keep focused, remember what I'm here for."

Jones was not surprised by how quickly she knuckled back down to work after her Wimbledon glory. "I've spent too long cajoling players, leading them to the water and begging them to drink it," he said.

"Not Bally. If I told her she could improve her backhand by running to Edinburgh and back, she'd be on her way before I finished the sentence.

"She still reminds me of a boxer who wants to knock everybody out in the first round. She went to Wimbledon like a puppy, excited by all the razzmatazz. But once she was there she became a puppy with teeth, and now she's starting to bite."