Keothavong comes through Memphis test
Originally published on: 26/02/10 11:27
Tennishead blogger Anne Keothavong is into the second round of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis after a three-set victory over Italian Maria Elena Camerin.
The 25-year-old from London came through against the world No.129 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in 2 hours and five minutes. The result earns Keothavong a second-round date with Portuguese wild card Michelle Larcher de Brito at the $220,000 indoor event.
De Brito, considered by many to be a future star of the game, was in devastating form as she thrashed Swedish former champion Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-0 in her first round match at the Memphis Racket Club.
Fourth-seeded Keothavong began strongly against her doubles partner at this week’s Tennessee event.
The Middlesex right-hander held her opening two service games to love, but it was the Italian who got the first set under her belt thanks to a single break.
The Briton soon got her game back on track though, failing to drop serve and breaking Camerin four times as she raced through the last two sets.
Anne said on her Twitter page: Got the win, took longer than I would’ve liked. Missed Sampras play Hewitt was still on court grinding it out!
Keothavong is back in action on Tuesday when she and Camerin take on Melinda Czink from Hungary and Canadian Stephanie Dubois in the first round of the doubles.
Elsewhere in the draw, Keothavongs Fed Cup team-mate Mel South suffered a 6-2, 6-2 first round defeat to third-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova.
German Sabine Lisicki and Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier, the sixth and eighth seeds respectively, also came through their openers.
Lisicki got the better of Ekaterina Bychkova 6-3, 6-3 while Parmentier fought her way past Julie Coin 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-1. The seventh seed Alla Kudryavtseva crashed out to qualifier Michaella Krajicek 6-1, 6-4.
In the evening session second seed Victoria Azarenka thrashed Varvara Lepchenko 6-2, 6-2.
The big match on Tuesday sees top seed Caroline Wozniacki go head to head with Aussie qualifier Jelena Dokic in a re-match of their Aussie Open third round meeting.
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