Keothavong aiming for top 50 despite straight sets U.S Open defeat

The result was the same - this time a 6-3 6-4 defeat to Olympic champion Elena Dementieva - but twelve months on there was a sense that we were saying hello rather than goodbye.

Keothavong will never achieve what Henman did in the game, but there is every reason to believe that she will keep Andy Murray company in the singles draws of the world's biggest tournaments for some time to come.

Anne Keothavong lost in straight sets to Russian Elena Dementieva in the U.S Open third round

The 23 year-old from Hackney was not at all flattered by the scoreline, and was rightly disappointed that she did not take the match into a third set after creating break point opportunities in all of the fifth seed's service games in the second.

A little more composure would have seen her take more than three out of ten break points in the whole match after giving as good as she got against one of the game's true form players.

This was also not one of those days when the Russian serves like a club hacker, and she was certainly impressed with her opponent:

"She could be top 40 or even better," said the Russian.

"She's the best British player I've seen, she wasn't afraid to hit the ball hard and be very aggressive and she's got a good serve as well."

Keothavong was harder on herself.

"I caused her a few problems, but it would have been nice to cause a few more," she said.

"I felt I made too many errors and she played the big points better than me."

This was to be expected, given the vast gulf in experience, but that difference ought to be eroded by being part of occasions like this.

Elena Dementieva proved too strong for Anne Keothavong - but tipped the Brit to break into the world's top 40

"It has been a good week overall.

"She is one of the favourites here and I feel like I can compete with these girls," she said.

"At Wimbledon my next goal was to get into the top 75 and I've done that now after this so the next logical thing is to get into the top 50."

Keothavong's flat groundstrokes repeatedly got through Dementieva's defences.

Her best chance of really testing the Russian's sometimes fragile nerve came at 4-4 in the second when she dumped an easy forehand in the net on break point.

Instead of serving for it she was serving to save it, and the world number six broke to win.

On Saturday evening Murray will take on Austria's Jurgen Melzer, ranked 48, in the third round, one of the same opponent that he will face in the Davis Cup World Group entry play-off match at Wimbledon next month.

It is a match he ought to win and encourage hopes of a deep run into the second week, but the announcement of the squad to face Austria was a sobering reminder of how little strength in depth there is behind him.

Captain John Lloyd unveiled Alex Bogdanovic as his choice of second singles player, overlooking the likes of Josh Goodall and Chris Eaton.

It is a considerable gamble, given Bogdanovic's 0-4 record in live Davis Cup rubbers and 0-7 sequence at Wimbledon, but with the Lawn Tennis Association's production line still non-existent there are precious few options.

The doubles is slightly better, with top 100 specialists Jamie Murray and Ross Hutchins included.

Murray must put his slightly ropey performance against Michael Llodra behind him when he faces Melzer.

The Austrian is expecting him to counter punch in the normal way.

"He tries to make you fall asleep by getting you into very long rallies, I'm just going to have to make sure I don't fall asleep," said Melzer.