Elena Baltacha apologised today for swearing during her first round Wimbledon victory - but added that she did not remember her four-letter outburst.

The 25-year-old became the only home-grown woman to progress to the second round with a hard-fought win over Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko.

And with emotions running high and the game running late into the evening, her expletive came just four minutes before the watershed.

"Someone told me that I said the F word out loud. I really do not remember shouting that out," she said.

"Maybe I said it under my breath. I know I shouted out a few things but that was definitely not in English. Maybe in Russian.

"If I offended anyone I apologise but I really don't remember saying that out loud."

Baltacha, who lives in Enfield but was born in Ukraine, fell to her knees with tears in her eyes as she won the third set in front of an ecstatic crowd.

Bondarenko is ranked number 33 in the world, a full 73 places ahead of the Brit.

Baltacha thanked the crowd today for their "remarkable support", adding: "That's the best win that I've had. It was a very big win for me. I went into the match very confident.

"I'm really chuffed that I managed to perform very well and get the win."

She defended the rest of the other British women who have been knocked out saying: "All of us have improved so much in the rankings.

"Everyone is still upbeat because they know it's not just about this one week."

And she also played down concerns over grunting players and laughed off the possibility they could be docked points.

"When I read it I thought it was a bit funny that if you grunt too loud there are going to be points deducted," she said.

"It is a bit extreme I think.

"A grunt is to release energy. I know for a fact that players don't do it to put their opponents off."

Baltacha talked briefly about the liver condition she was diagnosed with as a teenager.

She said: "I have my liver condition which I'm going to have for the rest of my life but that's under control.

"I don't want to go into it but I found out when I was 18, I didn't realise I had it, I'm on medication every day and I get checked up twice a year.

"It's under control, it's not a problem. Everything seems to be very good."

Baltacha's mother, Olga, is a former Russian pentathlete.

She missed the end of the match because she had to catch her flight back home to Glasgow.

Her father, Sergie, is a former Dynamo Kiev and Ipswich Town footballer.

Baltacha faces Belgian Kirsten Flipkens tomorrow and has beaten her twice before.