Dementieva halts Keothavong run

British number one Anne Keothavong gave Olympic champion Elena Dementieva a scare before bowing out 6-3 6-4 in the third round of the US Open.

After losing the first set, 24-year-old Keothavong broke serve to lead 4-3 in the second but she could not hang on and was broken straight back.

Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Keothavong double-faulted to give the Russian three match points.

The fifth seed took it on the third with a backhand down the line.

Keothavong felt she had failed to take her opportunities.

"I'm obviously disappointed. I felt I had opportunities, and I hit too many errors on routine shots," she said.

"Definitely I can compete with these girls. I don't think the gaps are as big as I once thought"

"I just feel like I could have done a better job."

Despite the defeat, Keothavong is set to move into the world's top 70 - the first British woman to do so since Sam Smith in 1999.

And the Briton said her performances in New York had given her belief that she could break into the top 50.

"She was a lot more consistent than I was today. She's a lot more experienced in these kinds of situations," she said.

"But definitely I can compete with these girls. I don't think the gaps are as big as I once thought.

"I know what I need to work on. I can go back home now and just get stuck in.

"I feel like I can climb the rankings. The next stage for me is to break into the top 50. That's the next goal for me."

Keothavong's bid to become the first British woman to reach the fourth round since Jo Durie in 1991 began nervously.

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" Well done Anne for giving British women's tennis a jolt; now let's see who can keep the flag flying "

The Londoner lost her opening service game to the hard-hitting Russian but answered immediately by breaking back.

An astute line call challenge swung the momentum back in Dementieva's favour as the Olympic champion won the replayed point to break for a 2-1 lead.

Keothavong refused to lose heart and continued to take her attacking game to Dementieva but, with the Russian pummelling down her new-found accurate serve, the Briton could not carve out another break point.

It was Dementieva who broke again with an array of powerful groundstrokes to wrap up the set.

Keothavong came out fighting at the start of the second earning five break points in Dementieva's first service game, but failing to convert any of them.

The British number one appeared to tire by the fourth game and, with the errors creeping in, handed Dementieva the break with a double fault.

But after verbally pumping herself up, Keothavong produced a spell of her most ruthless tennis of the match, breaking straight back at 3-2 before firing down three clean, cross-court winners to take a 4-3 lead.

"She's probably the best British player that I ever played"

The Briton's advantage, however, was short-lived. A run of mis-hits and unforced errors saw the 24-year-old hand Dementieva the break straight back.

Keothavong was left serving to save the match but gifted the fifth seed three match-points; two were saved through luck before Dementieva finished it off with a classy backhand.

Dementieva admitted she had been surprised by the quality of Keothavong's play.

"She played really well, especially in the beginning of the match. She really went there, and she's not afraid to hit the ball pretty hard," said the Russian.

"She's probably the best British player that I ever played. She has a very good potential, she's very aggressive, and she has a good serve.

"The whole game is pretty good. I think it's just a matter of experience."

Dementieva now meets China's Li Na, who beat Ektarina Makarova 6-1 4-6 6-2, for a place in the quarter-finals.

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