Anne Keothavong looks ahead to US Open
30th August 2010Anne Keothavong is making her final preparations for the US Open which starts for her on Tuesday when she takes on Yung-Jan Chan from Chinese Taipei who is currently ranked 77 in the world.
Keothavong spent the week before the US Open competing in the $100,000K ITF event in the Bronx, where she beat Pauline Parmentier from France in straight sets in the first round and then lost to Latvian Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 4-6, 4-6 who also happened to be her doubles partner in the event.
“I played some good matches there,” commented Keothavong “and I had some good challenges. It was good preparation for me before the US Open and it was unfortunate that I went out to my doubles partner when I was actually leading that match. I had chances in both singles and doubles and it was just good preparation.”
In the doubles event, the pair made the semi-finals before losing to the pairing of Kristina Barrois (GER) and Yvonne Meusburger (AUT).
Keothavong is still on her comeback trail after a knee ligament injury in July 2009. Her protected ranking means she enters the Main Draw here automatically without having to qualify.
“My come back is going fine. At the start I probably had higher expectations of myself and would have liked my ranking to be in a better place than it is at the moment, but that’s ok.
“My protected ranking gives me a chance to play main draw here this week and if I keep working hard and go on with whatever I have to do, the ranking will take care of itself and hopefully I can still end the year on a high.”
The courts and conditions at Flushing Meadows really suit Keothavong’s style of play and she is really excited at the prospect of getting out there again. In 2008 she made the third round and this year she hopes to go even further.
“This is one of my favourite tournaments and I always love coming back to New York,” she said. “The hard courts and the conditions here suit my game and my first round opponent is going to be pretty tough; she also likes the hard courts and hits it hard and flat.
“She likes the pace of the courts just as much as I do, so it will be a tough match but I feel like I have prepared well, and I am here and in one piece and that’s the main thing.
“I’ve never played her before in singles, but I know of her. I have practised with her quite a bit in the past – I’ve played her at doubles and she has made the final of the Australian Open in Doubles so she‘s an experienced doubles player.
“As long as I just focus on my own game and take care of what I can control, it should be good.”
After the US Open, Keothavong heads to Canada and then back to Europe as she aims to improve her ranking towards the end of the year to put her in the best position possible as she heads into 2011.
“I’m going to Canada from here to play the tour event in Quebec and then I am hoping to play the indoor tournaments in Europe and the two $75K events back home in England in Barnstaple and Shrewsbury where I can just build on my ranking and hopefully win lots of matches.”