Natasha Khan has refused to surrender her dream of becoming a tennis star.

Khan was ready to quit the professional circuit after a nightmare year of injury and lack of form.

But the Brighton and Hove ace has had a change of heart and will resume her career after a three-week break at the Surbiton Trophy.

Khan, 21 this month, has been given a wild card into the qualifying draw this weekend.

She said: "Surbiton is where everything started to go wrong for me so maybe it'll do the opposite for me this year."

Khan sustained a stress fracture of a metatarsal against British No.1 Anne Keothavong at the Surrey event 12 months ago.

She then pulled a stomach muscle in her first match back following four months on the sidelines.

Khan broke down with the same problem twice more in aborted comebacks over two months and then damaged her Achilles to leave her sidelined for two more months.

She has struggled on the circuit since and her world ranking has dropped from a career-high 393 last May to 826.

A disappointing trip to Korea last month left her wondering whether it was worth continuing.

She said: "It made me think of giving up. I felt under pressure.

"I'd worked hard in training and expected myself to do a lot better but hardly got a win over there.

"I was forced to accept I wasn't playing as well. It had been a very frustrating year which had given me plenty to think about.

"When I got back I went out for a meal to celebrate my birthday with my family. I said to myself I'm 21 now, I'm getting older, what do I want to do?'.

"I felt a bit burned out. I'd been going from one tournament to the next without giving myself a break. Even when I was injured I tried to train all the time. I'd been pushing myself too hard.

"I wasn't sure whether I would carry on up until last week but the break allowed me the thinking time I needed.

"I spoke to my family, Nigel Sears (the LTA women's head coach from Lewes) and other people I trust. I didn't want to give up for the wrong reasons.

"I discovered how much I missed training and playing. It would have been a shame to leave something I'd done for so long rather than give it my all.

"I'm going to try one more time."