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Anne Keothavong blows her bid for glory
Evening Standard 18 Jul 2008
Anne Keothavong squandered an apparent match-winning position as she lost to 2007 Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli at the Bank of the West Classic in California.
The British No1, ranked 82 in the world, led 4-1 in the deciding set and was seemingly on her way to a third-round meeting with world No8 Anna Chakvetadze.
But Keothavong lost seven of the next eight games to hand her French opponent a 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 victory.
Bartoli, the world No15, raced through the first set but was run ragged in the second as Keothavong won five games in succession to level the match.
One consolation for Keothavong is that she will improve her world ranking following her defeat of world No33 Sania Mirza, of India, in the first round.
