Anne pulls out of Tallinn final
A hip injury forces the British No.3 to withdraw in Estonia
Anne Keothavong’s run at the $25,000 Tallinn ITF tournament ended midway through the final after she had to retire with a hip injury on Sunday.
Seeded first in Estonia, the British No.3 was losing 6-4 4-1 to second seed Elena Bovina of Russia when she called an end to proceedings after her hip “gave way” in the opening set.
“My hip was really tight before the match and half way through the first set it felt even more uncomfortable and the pain was sharper,” said Keothavong. “It got worse and I was barely moving and with the US Open coming up, I didn’t want to risk any further damage.”
Despite the disappointing conclusion, the 26-year-old Londoner had a positive week in Tallinn, making the final without dropping a set.
‘I went to Estonia to play a Challenger because I felt like I needed to get some matches under my belt and try a few different things. The tournament served its purpose.”
Confident of recovering in time for Flushing Meadows, where she made the third round in 2008, Keothavong added:
“I’m back in London now and hope with better physio work I’ll be ok to leave for New York on Thursday.”