L32: Anne Keothavong WR 60 v (5) Agnes Szavay (HUN) WR 25
A much tougher R1 draw for Anne this time, against a player who was ranked as high as 13 last April soon after she reached the Paris Final (beating Hantochova and Dementieva on the way) and who reached three consecutive QFs last spring, beating Safina and Bartoli, before reaching R4 at Wimby.
She's streaky though, following that Paris Final with three consecutive R1 losses to lower-ranked players, and ending 2008 with four straight sets losses, so Anne will hope to create an upset in the Hungarian's first match of 2009.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
It could be a good time to play Szavay, and she will know her strengths from watching her in the Fed Cup last year (playing Katie), so not a bad draw. Tough doubles draws though - Erakovic and another Romanian (Cirstea) mangled Courtney and Sarah in Luxemburg.
Doubles draw
(1)Bondarenko/Bondarenko (UKR) v Keothavong/Santangelo (GBR/ITA) Dzehalevich/Poutchek (BLR) v (wc)Moore/Rogowska (AUS)
Benesova/Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) v Kudryavtseva/Tanasugarn (RUS/THA) Borwell/Nagle (GBR/USA) v (2)Erakovic/Niculescu (NZL/ROU)
The bookies make this one 55%:45% in Szavay's favour, so like us, they obviously think the gap between them is smaller than the rankings suggest at the moment.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Anne's got some good form to go into the match too. This is Szavay's first match of the year so they've obviously taken that into account.
I will be very impressed if Anne rattles off the win. Given her form and the obvious improvements she has made, she would deserve to but that counts for naught unless she plays well.
Anne's got some good form to go into the match too. This is Szavay's first match of the year so they've obviously taken that into account.
I will be very impressed if Anne rattles off the win. Given her form and the obvious improvements she has made, she would deserve to but that counts for naught unless she plays well.
Yeah, Szavay played hopman cup this week and had a nightmare losing all of her matches, even to Mirza who has just come back from injury so I hope Anne can capitalize. Go Anne!
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Anne Keothavong - Heather Watson - Naomi Cavaday - Laura Robson - Elena Baltacha - Everyone else!
30-30, but Szavay serves and ace to go 40-30 and holds on : *1-2
Danger at 0-30 but Anne wins the next 4 points 2-2*
Anne wins 7/8 points to get to 15-40 as Szavay finally misses the odd 1st serve, but the Hungarian saves both bps then Anne gets another one ... saved ... another one ... saved ... a 5th ... YES!! *3-2
-- Edited by steven at 03:39, 2009-01-12
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Anne races to 40-0 (I say, this isn't very British, wot! ), lets Szavay win a point but holds to 15 : 4-2*
Anne gets the first point on Szavay's serve, but the Hungarian wins the next three and looks like she has steadied the ship a bit only for Anne to bring her back to deuce ... ad in (as Ken Thomas would say) ... deuce ... ad in ... holds : *4-3
Interlude: if you thought the pics of Andy's facial expressions while he's playing can be scary, you ain't seen nothing yet - how about this one of Jelena Dokic on the Hobart site!
Love hold - please keep playing this well! *5-3
-- Edited by steven at 03:41, 2009-01-12
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Anne gets to 30-30 as Szavay serves the first DF of the match and capitalises to get a set point, her 7th bp of the set ... and double breaks to take the 1st set! Come on!! 6-3 0-0*
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!