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Tennis

Plucky Brit Keothavong crashes out at Flushing Meadows

29/08/2008

British number one Anne Keothavong's run at the US Open has ended after a 6-3 6-4 defeat to Olympic champion Elena Dementieva.

The 24-year-old was broken three times on her way to losing the first set. Keothavong broke to lead 4-3 in the second set before succumbing to the Russian in straight sets.

Keothavong had been the first British woman to reach the US Open third round since Sara Gomer and Jo Durie in 1991.

She made a nightmare start with Dementieva breaking in the opening game, but Keothavong hit back with a break of her own to stun the crowd in the Louis Armstrong stadium.

The set continued to be a topsy-turvy affair with Dementieva breaking again in game three to lead 2-1. The 26-year-old repeated the trick in game nine to clinch the set.

Dementieva survived a scare in her opening service game in the second set with Keothavong blowing two break point chances.

The 2004 runner-up at Flushing Meadows punished Keothavong’s failure to take her chances by breaking in game four to take a 3-1 lead.

But Keothavong, who hails from east London, broke back immediately with two thunderous forehand winners. She then took a shock 4-3 lead with a break after three forehand winners, before being broken again by Dementieva.

Keothavong spurned two more break points as Dementieva moved into a 5-4 lead. Saving to stay in the match, the Briton found herself 0-40 down and Dementieva sealed victory on her third match point with a ferocious passing shot.

But despite the loss, Keothavong is set to become the first British woman to break into the top 70 since Sam Smith in 1999.