AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2011: Anne Keothavong bows out in three sets against 30th seed Andrea Petkovic

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Wasted chance: Anne Keothavong reflects on defeat to Andrea Petkovic Anne Keothavong narrowly blew achance to make her second appearance in a Grand Slam third round - anda meeting with Venus Williams - when she went out of the AustralianOpen under the floodlights of Melbourne Park.Eight hours after Elena Baltacha hadbeen comprehensively beaten by Justine Henin, the British No 2 pushed the hightly-rated German Andrea Petkovic unexpectedly close, butcould not capitalise on winning the first set.
She went down 2-6 7-5 6-0, herself-belief evaporating after giving away the final game in the secondset that could have resulted in a tie-break.Nonetheless it was an adventurousperformance from the world No 118 - at least for the first hour andthree quarters - who was giving away 85 ranking places to a more classyopponent.
Keothavong clearly went out with theintention of throwing everything that she had at the 23 year-oldGerman, ranked 33 in the world.
With the expectation high on themore fancied Petkovic, she seemed unusually nervous and aided theLondoner's cause by contributing regular unforced errors which helped Keothavong break for 3-2.
Striking the ball impressively andexhibiting the confidence of someone who had come through threequalifying rounds and one in the main draw proper, the 27 year-old fromHackney was far more solid, and then got lucky on break point at 4-2when she hit a forehand that was clearly wide, which the lineswomaninexplicably called in.
That effectively sealed the set,turning around the last time they played, at the WTA Tour event in Linzin October, when Petkovic won the opening set 6-0.
Keothavong has improved since, andshe broke again at the start of the second after Petkovic took the nowobligatory toilet break, only to relinquish it immediately when shemissed a sitter of a forehand at the net in the next game.

Great fightback: Andrea Petkovic of Germany rallied against Anne KeothavongIt was to be one of several howlersas she began to press too hard, but when trailing 5-3 the German beganto get tight again, and failed to serve out the set.
Keothavong wasgrimly hanging in, but at 6-5 she made three unforced errors to stop itgoing into a tie-break that could have decided the match.
Granted a reprieve, Petkovic relaxedinto her task and, barely missing a first serve, she steamrollered anincreasingly weary-looking Keothavong, who sensed she had missed herchance.

More...

  • British No 1 Baltacha crashes out in straight sets against Henin
  • Venus a-dresses her problems and finds the right gear to beat Zahlavova
  • Verdasco saves three match points to beat Tipsarevic in five sets
  • Clijsters embarrasses former world No 1 Safina in crushing first-round victory
  • Australian Open results: All the scores from the season's first grand slam


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