Ipswich-based Elena Baltacha will face Italy’s Flavia Pennetta at Wimbledon, on Monday.

Pennetta has defeated multiple Grand Slam singles champions such as Justine Henin, Mary Pierce, Martina Hingis, Amélie Mauresmo, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova and won the 2011 Australian Open Doubles title with Gisele Dulko.

Baltacha will be taking part in the ladies’ singles competition for the 12th time and her best year came in 2002, when she reached the third round.

The 29-year-old, who runs her own tennis academy for young girls in Ipswich – based at Ipswich Sports Club – has been handed a wildcard for the event and is in the bottom half of the draw.

She goes to the All England Club in decent form having recently won the AEGON Nottingham Challenge in a warm up to the world famous south London tournament.

British number one and last year’s runner-up, Andy Murray, begins his campaign against Benjamin Becker, the same player he defeated in a recent quarter-finals at Queens.

Baltacha’s Fed Cup team mates Laura Robson and Heather Watson will also be in action against Maria Kirilenko and Madison Keys respectively.