BRITISH No.1 Anne Keothavong will take on Olympic champion Elena Dementieva in the US Open happy for once to be sharing the media spotlight with Andy Murray.
Murray has dominated the British tennis landscape since the retirement of Tim Henman, climbing to world No.6 and winning three ATP Tour titles this year, including a first Masters Series crown in Cincinnati.
Making her US Open debut, Keothavong,
the world No.87, has redressed the balance a little in New York this week, completing her second victory in three days yesterday with the upset of 25th seed Francesca Schiavone of Italy, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
Now the 24-year-old Londoner is preparing to face world No.5 Dementieva tomorrow in the third round and occupying centre stage.
"I guess it's a nice feeling, just to get women's tennis out there," Keothavong said last night. "There are women out there who are doing things in British tennis, and it's nice to know that it's just not Andy Murray out there. It's nice to be with him at these events and share it with him."
Keothavong accepts publicity and the media glare accompany a certain level of success, and she is determined to keep winning.
"I guess it's one of those things," she said. "You need results to back it up further if you want the publicity, if you want to be out there a bit more.
"Hopefully for me, reaching the third round, that's something I've never achieved before.
"I'm feeling good and who knows what can happen? I definitely feel I have a chance in the next round, too."
Keothavong, who turned professional nearly seven years ago, insisted she always believed she would get to this level.
"Breaking into the top 100, that goal is what kept me going," she said. "I always felt I could do it. It was just a matter of time."
Dementieva, meanwhile, will be working on getting to know her British opponent.
"I never played against her, actually," the Russian said. "I don't know much about her.
"I know she's a good player."
The full article contains 359 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
