Anne to face Suarez Navarro
Keothavong to play Sunday…
British No.1 Anne Keothavong has been handed an early start at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier event which begins in Rome on Sunday.
The Londoner is unseeded at the $2million clay court event and will take on Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro in the first round.
Keothavong and Suarez Navarro are the first match on court 5 on Sunday at 1pm local time.
Although Navarro is very much at home on clay, Keothavong can go into the contest confident having already beaten the world No.24 this year.
The Briton took out the Spanish baseliner in straight sets in her first event of 2009 in New Zealand.
Since that result Suarez Navarro has reached the last eight of the Australian Open (where she beat Venus Williams in round two), was runner-up at a clay event in Marbella in early April and the next week a semi-finalist in Barcelona.
“We played against each other earlier in the year in Auckland where I won that match in straight sets but tomorrow’s match will be completely different and I’m expecting a tough challenge,” Keothavong said.
“Clay is obviously her favourite surface and where she’s had the most success and hopefully the matches I played in Fes against two clay-courters will have helped prepare me a little better.”
The winner will earn a shot at eighth seeded Russian Nadia Petrova in the second round.
Keothavong is also playing doubles in Rome and will team up with Japan’s Ayumi Morita. They will open up against Italians Alberta Brianti and Corinna Dentoni.
Sunday Order of Play
STADIO PIETRANGELI (1.30 start)
Bryan & Bryan Vs Nestor & Zimonjic
4pm Nadal V Djokovic
CAMPO 1 (1pm start)
Schnyder V Duque Marino
Schiavone V Brianti
Not Before 4:00 PM
Bartoli V Peng
Mauresmo V Martinez Sanchez
CAMPO 5 (1pm start)
Keothavong V Suarez Navarro
Dushevina V Hantuchova
Dechy & Santangelo V Burnett & Moroni
CAMPO 6 (1pm start)
Bondarenko & Bondarenko V Errani & Knapp
Garbin & Vinci V Azarenka & Vesnina
Shvedova V Stosur
CAMPO 4 (1pm start)
Niculescu V Morita
Safarova V Koryttseva (UKR)
Chieppa & Vierin V Radwanska & Szavay
CAMPO 3 (1pm start)
Bammer (AUT) V Li
Kanepi V King
Bachmann & Henke V Craybas & Ditty