Anne Keothavong Blog

Anne Keothavong Blog: Desert times...
- Tue 16 Mar '10
- Comments
Blogging from the Californian desert, the 26-year-old Londoner tackles the British Tennis debate, and reveals a new found love of golf…

Hello!

I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been amused and saddened by all the reports I read about British Tennis. The Davis Cup match clearly didn’t go very well and everyone wants to have their say as to why the whole of British Tennis is crap unless you’re called Andy Murray.

I could have a rant and add more fuel to the fire, but frankly it’s not going to change anything. Yes, we don’t have enough players at the top of the game but it’s not going to happen overnight. Tennis still has to appeal to younger people and become more accessible to everyone, but the LTA are not a charity – nor are the elite players receiving money to fund their careers from taxpayers, the government or the lottery like other athletes do.

I’m not going to type anything more about it because this blog could turn in to an essay! Instead, I’ll talk about what’s been happening here in Indian Wells.

I went out in the opening round to Anna Chakvetadze and for a set and a half I played pretty well. She raised her game and I found myself over-pressing in the rallies, which doesn’t help you win tennis matches. It was obviously disappointing to lose but it’s still early days for me so I’m not going to get too down about it. The conditions were also pretty tough – we went on in the evening and the temperature here really drops once the sun goes down and that wasn’t good for my knee. When it’s really cold, my knee still feels really stiff and creaky. It didn’t stop me chasing down balls but I can’t say it’s particularly comfortable and you’re constantly aware of it.

There’s quite a bit of time between the tournament here and next week in Miami so I’ve been training hard and keeping myself busy as usual. I’ve picked up a new hobby here – Golf! There are so many Golf courses out here and the scenery is beautiful, so it would’ve been rude not to give it a go. I’ve found myself on the driving range quite a few times and I feel like I’m swinging better each time. I even attempted playing a round, but after four holes I decided I needed more practice on the range and the putting green first. I had spent way too much time in the bunkers and the sand wedge was fast-becoming my best friend!

There’s also some great tennis going on, and I watch where I can. As a player, I think it’s so much better when the events are combined with both men and women because it makes it a healthier environment for everyone. The player party in Indian Wells was one of the better ones – with a sushi bar, barbeque, burgers from the chain ‘In n Out’ and some unbelievable Italian ice cream which went down particularly well with me. The Bryan Brothers and the Counting Crows provided the entertainment, and there was a Buddy Holly tribute band and a putting competition (where I took out Nigel and Jez Green). I was given quite a few nice golf balls and something tells me I’m going to need as many as I can!

I need to get some sleep now, I’ll blog again soon.

Anne x
Anne Keothavong Blog: Memphis review
- Mon 22 Feb '10
- 2 Comments
With a brief respite before she heads to Indian Wells, the 26-year-old looks back on a positive few weeks

I think it’s fair to say I did better than I thought I would in Memphis. I didn’t have any expectations going in to my first WTA event in over six months but I knew I was striking the ball pretty well and I was in good spirits and just happy to be competing again.

I didn’t practise much before my first match as I was aching all over from the previous week. Resting and looking after my body was the priority in the two days I had in between and it paid off. Usually, this would send me into a little bit of a panic as I love practising and making sure I’ve prepared well on the match courts but I think putting one foot in front of the other was more important this time round!

The WTA physio’s were very thorough in the treatment I received for my body and I have to thank them for that. It makes a huge difference if you receive the right care and can make the difference in you feeling ready for your match or not.

My performance in the first round against Kristina Barrois was pretty good. I would’ve been more than pleased with how I played that day whether I had been injured for months or not! My shot selection was better and I dealt with her change of pace and spin well. My second round match against Michelle Larcher De Brito was a repeat of last year’s second round match in Memphis. This time, it was a much more comfortable match for me, and I was much more consistent. A lot has been made of her grunting in the past but it wasn’t outrageous when I played against her – and it wasn’t last year either.

I last played Karolina Sprem at Wimbledon a few years ago and I think I got two games off her. The previous times I had played against her I’d lost too, so the odds were against me. This time I was well prepared and in our quarter-final match I hustled for everything. She goes for broke a lot of the time and you just have to kind of weather it and stand your ground. I did that well and got the win to make the semis – which I was happy about.

I got off to a great start against Sofia Arvidsson in the semi-final and was striking the ball so cleanly. I had points to go 4-1 up but didn’t take it and then found myself in a tussle with her for the rest of the match. It was incredibly close and I think we were both aware of what we were playing for – a place against Maria Sharapova in the final. Of course, it was disappointing to lose as I felt like I was the one who was trying to make something happen in the match – my winners would’ve been a lot higher than hers but so too were my errors.

Overall, it’s been a good last few weeks. I’ve played more matches than I thought I would and I came close to making my first WTA final. It’s a good starting point considering what I’ve been through the last few months. If I can continue to improve then I’m sure I’ll make a WTA final sooner or later somewhere down the line, but most of all, I want to remain fit and healthy so I have a chance of achieving that goal and getting my ranking back up to where it should be.

Thanks to everyone who sent me kind messages through my website and twitter. I do read them and it makes me smile, thank you! x
Anne Keothavong Blog: Back on track in the US
- Tue 16 Feb '10
- 1 Comments
Finally back in action on the Tour after a long six months out with a knee injury, the British No.3 blogs from Memphis…

Right, let’s start off with the good news – I can still put one foot in front of the other. The bad news is that I think I’ll need a hip replacement before I reach the age of 35!

I had a decent week in Midland, Michigan where I reached the quarter-finals of the Dow Corning Challenger. I had two match points in that match and blew it and for the last few games of the match I could barely move. I played eight matches in nine days which is more than I had hoped for and it’s taken a toll on my body but I’m not going to complain. The more I play, the sooner I’ll become more match tight again but it’s going to take time. I made the choice to compete and that’s all I want to do right now whether I sprint to drop shots or limp to the line to serve.

I’m now in Memphis for the South Cellular Cup. I got here on Saturday and have spent most of my time with the physio’s who are trying to put me back together again and in the gym stretching as much as possible. During competition, I don’t practice as much and will spend no more than two hours on the practice court if I don’t have a match that day. Court surfaces vary in speed from tournament to tournament so it’s just a case of getting your eye in and making small adjustments.

One of my coaches, Nigel Sears, is here with me this week. He over looks all the British women and helps the other girls too that are here. At WTA tournaments, you can call your coach on to court once per set at the change of ends. It’s meant to provide more entertainment for TV viewers and give them a different insight in to the game and it can be incredibly entertaining if the coach and player have a disagreement. In the heat of the moment, players can say some stupid things which I’ve been guilty of and unfortunately your coach is more than likely to be on the receiving end of it. Last year when I was competing at this tournament I said a few things to Nigel who was here with me (which I’ve since apologised for) and he walked off in the middle of my match! I went on to win that particular match and fortunately my bad behaviour hasn’t been repeated.

Maria Sharapova and Melanie Oudin are headlining the women’s event and Andy Roddick and Fernando Verdasco are headlining the men’s event so there should be a good crowd this week and some great tennis. I play the No.6 seed Kristina Barrois of Germany in the singles and in the doubles I’ve partnered up with Marta Domachowska and we play Melanie Oudin and Shenay Perry. Wish me luck!

Anne x

By the way, I’m now wearing Wilson Clothing and Shoes. It’s great to be part of the Wilson Team and I hope you like what you see!
Anne Keothavong Blog: From Portugal
- Thu 04 Feb '10
- 2 Comments
As the GB Fed Cup Team prepare for action, Anne gives the lowdown on the teams drawn in their group as she hopes for the call up from the captain

Hello from Portugal!

I’m so excited! It’s been ages since I’ve been at a competition and I feel so happy and proud to be wearing my Great Britain tracksuit here in Portugal for Fed Cup.

We’ve spent the last few days training here and adjusting to the different speed of the indoor courts and we’re now all ready and raring to go. We’ve been drawn in a group with Belarus, Austria and Bosnia and it’s against Bosnia who we kick the competition off with.

They’re the weakest in the group on paper but nothing should be taken for granted as anything can happen in an event like this. Belarus and lead by world number 6, Victoria Azarenka and Austria are lead by the experienced Sybille Bammer. Both teams have good depth but we were expecting tough matches and are well prepared for it.

I’ve been practicing well and I feel like I’m just enjoying everything that bit more because I’ve been out of it for so long. It’s been nice to catch up with some of the other girls from the other nations who I haven’t seen for a while but nothing has changed too much and the grumpy girls are still grumpy! That side of things, I haven’t missed!

If the captain, Nigel Sears selects me to play in either singles or doubles I’ll definitely be up for it. I know how hard I’ve worked to even have my spot in the team and I’m grateful for the belief he’s shown in me. The other girls are all playing well too and we’re all desperate to help the team get out of this group and do well for each other as Fed Cup is the one team competition in the calendar.

Wish us all luck and I’ll try and keep you updated on how we get on.

Anne x

By the way, my Aussie Open prediction for Serena Williams and Roger Federer were correct but you can ignore the other stuff!
Anne Keothavong Blog: My Picks for Aussie Open
- Sun 17 Jan '10
Anne intends to watch plenty of TV action from Melbourne Park and hopes for some forehand inspiration from Juan Martin del Potro

So, the draw’s out down under for the first Grand Slam of the season and what are my thoughts…?

The women’s draw definitely looks exciting, all the top players are there and there are plenty of other girls ready to give them a good run for their money. I think we can definitely expect to see some quality tennis right from the first round to the final.
Going in to a Grand Slam, I think Serena Williams is always the top favourite. She’s an incredible competitor when fit and her record at Slams compared to the others says it all. I don’t think we’ll be seeing her against Venus in the semis though, Venus hasn’t performed her best in Australia the last few years and I don’t expect to see that changing this year, in fact I think she might have trouble getting past her first round opponent, the tricky lefty, Lucie Safarova. Caroline Wozniacki is a very consistent and smart match player so I’m sure we’ll see her out rally everyone else in that quarter unless someone has the tournament of their life.

Dementieva, Clijsters, Henin and Wickmayer are all in the same third quarter which is unfortunate because they’re all capable of making it through in other quarters but that’s great for the viewers. I would love to see Clijsters and Henin battle it out after that great match they played against each other in Brisbane a few weeks ago, such quality tennis.

Maria Sharapova is my third favourite for the title behind Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters. She hasn’t played any tournaments leading up to the Australian Open and instead played a few exhibition events but I think she’s well prepared and fully recovered from her shoulder injury now. I’ll also be interested to see how Dinara Safina plays in her opening match against the talented Magdalen Rybarikova. Rybarikova can be quite flashy and dangerous and not the easiest player to play against on her day.
Sabine Lisciki, Aravane Rezai and Victoria Azarenka are a few other names to look out for who I reckon are capable of the odd shock win.

In the men’s draw, Roger Federer has got to be the favourite at a Grand Slam. Nicolay Davydenko is my favourite player to watch in men’s tennis (as well as Nadal), his timing for such a slight man is unbelievable and he’s been the in-form player the last few months although his record at Slams isn’t the best. I would love to see him do well, purely because it seems like one of the few things in life that would make him smile more often.

Andy Murray being seeded five has put him in the same quarter as Rafael Nadel but they both have tough matches to get through before they even get to that stage so it’s important not to think too far ahead. Hopefully, Andy’s preparation this year playing in the Hopman Cup instead of Dubai and missing the Kooyong Classic exhibition event will have helped him acclimatise better and he’s feeling fresh and ready to go.

You can never underestimate former winner, Novak Djokovic and also Fernando Verdasco who had a great run last year. Juan Martin Del-Potro is carrying an injury but let’s hope it’s not too bad because I want to see him scream a lot of forehand winners past his opponents for me to admire and attempt in my practice sessions!

In a Grand Slam, anything is possible and there are no guarantees for anyone. Although I’m not there competing myself this year, I’ll be watching as much of it as possible on TV because like you, I’m also a big tennis geek!