Anne wins grass opener
Keothavong beats Valerie Savinykh in Nottingham
Anne Keothavong began the grass-court season with victory in Nottingham, defeating 19-year-old Russian Valerie Savinykh 6-4 7-6 for a place in the second round of the $50,000 AEGON Trophy.
Though largely in control of the contest, the British No.3 had to come through a second set tie-break to set up a clash with fellow Brit Naomi Broady in round two.
“I started really quickly and I played really well for the first few games, then I lost a little bit of focus in the second set and my intensity level dropped a little bit,” said Keothavong.
“But a win is a win and it’s always good to get a win in your first match on grass so I’m happy.”
Competing in her first match since the French Open, the 26-year-old Londoner added:
“I haven’t had as much practice on the grass as I would have liked so it’s good to get out there and get as many matches as I can to prepare for the bigger tournaments that are coming up after this one.”