• WTA Tour

Keothavong suffers semi-final heartbreak again

ESPN staff
February 20, 2010
Anne Keothavong would have met Maria Sharapova in the final © Getty Images
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Briton Anne Keothavong came up agonisingly short in her bid to reach her maiden WTA Tour final, after she lost in three sets to Sofia Arvidsson in the Cellular South Cup semi-finals.

Keothavong went into Friday's match hoping to improve on last year's result, when she also crashed out at the semi-final stage. However, after fighting back from a set down to level, she eventually bowed out 6-4 4-6 6-4.

As is often the case, the nerves played havoc with Keothavong's serve in Memphis, with only 53 per cent of first serves finding their target. Arvidsson, who entered the tournament as a qualifier, also stumbled in the serve department in a match that produced 17 breaks.

Keothavong managed to save 10 of the 19 break points created by her opponent, but in the end it was the Swede who played the big points more impressively in order to progress to the final.

Arvidsson will now meet top seed Maria Sharapova, who defeated Petra Kvitova 6-4 6-3 to retain her 'favourite' status going into the final.

Sharapova ended Elena Baltacha's run in the quarter-finals, and she was equally comfortable against Kvitova, breaking the Czech on five occasions. Victory in the final would be Sharapova's first Tour title of the season.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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