ELENA JOHNSON battled illness to ensure she remains in the top 20 of the national rankings.

The Sarnian star reached the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Challenger singles competition and hopes that may even be enough to improve on her current 18th position.

‘Having been ill this week I was concerned that I may struggle to cope physically in a tournament,’ Johnson said.

‘I felt fine on the morning of the event but as the first match got under way I became very aware that I wasn’t 100%. I made the decision to continue playing because pulling out would cause my ranking to slip.’

In the first round Johnson was drawn against Cristen Callow, of the Isle of Man.

Callow won singles bronze at the Island Games in Aland and has started to climb the national rankings in a bid to qualify for the Commonwealth Games. She is currently No. 27.

‘Luckily, I was in control throughout the match and rallies were not lasting too long,’ Johnson (pictured) said.