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U.S. OPEN

August 29, 2008

Anne Keothavong

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

E. DEMENTIEVA/A. Keothavong
6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You caused quite a few problems there.
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: Yeah, I guess so. It would have been nice to have caused her a few more problems.
I'm obviously disappointed, but I felt that I had opportunities, and, you know, there was just -- I just felt I hit too many errors on routine points, routine shots.
But, you know, I think overall it's been a good week for me. She's the Olympic gold medalist. She's one of the favorites for this tournament.
But just for myself, I just feel like I could have done a better job.

Q. You didn't feel out of place, then?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: No, not at all. You know, I've been feeling confident. I was feeling good before the match. Like I said, I think I created opportunities for myself, I just didn't play those points, you know, the way I would have liked to.
But like I said, she's the Olympic gold medalist, and she's also feeling very good right now.

Q. What's the biggest thing you'll take from this experience this week?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: Definitely that I can compete with these girls. I don't think the gaps are as big as I once thought. I definitely feel, you know, I know what I need to work on. The best thing about that, I can go back home now and just get stuck in and, you know, work on those things.
For me, I do -- I feel like I can climb the rankings. I feel the next stage for me is to breaking into the top 50. That's the next goal for me.

Q. So did you surprise yourself this week?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: I don't think -- no, I don't think so. You know, I know I've been working hard. I've been doing a lot of work off the court. I'm in good shape, and, you know, I feel like I'm ready to be amongst these better players.

Q. Has it been a really good week because of the fact you feel you're making progress and you can actually see the progress?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: Yeah, it's nice when it comes together. That match against Schiavone, to get through that in three sets, she's in the top 30 in the world; I think she's been top 22. She's got a lot of experience behind her.
Definitely the fact that, you know, over the last couple of weeks, as well, being at the bigger events, tour events, practicing and being amongst the better players. That's given me a lot of confidence, too.

Q. What will you do? What's your schedule the rest of the year?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: I'll head home after this and practice for a week or so, and then back out to Asia for a couple of weeks for some tour events out there.

Q. Your ranking is going to go up after this obviously. Will that make a difference to the sort of events you're going to be able to play and the number of points you can pick up?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: I don't think -- you know, after Wimbledon I made my schedule for the rest of the year. It doesn't change the tournaments I'll be competing in for the rest of the year. They'll be WTA events.
I have to look to play in the bigger tournaments. That's where I want to be competing week in and week out.

Q. That top 50 goal, is that for the season?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: Well, I haven't put a time deadline on it or anything. At Wimbledon I said I wanted to break into the top 75. You know, I was 76 a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure I'll be inside 75 after this tournament.
So obviously the next stage for me, top 50, that's -- I think that's the next realistic goal.

Q. Did you go to that restaurant last night?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: We did.

Q. Did you get the seating plan that you wanted?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: It was a bit embarrassing last night. It wasn't very busy. A few people sat where we usually sit, so I had to walk out while Claire went and asked them to move.
I was too embarrassed to ask myself, but they were very nice about it. Yeah, they moved. (laughter.) Obviously didn't work, though, but you can only ask at the time.

Q. Do you go away from this now feeling totally comfortable in these surroundings against players like Dementieva, where before you would have had a little bit of worry?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: Yeah, definitely. I'm not afraid of these better players, you know. I go out on court and I feel I have a chance against them. Today I definitely feel I had a chance. It just didn't come together in the way I would have liked it to.
But again, you know, she's one of the favorites for this tournament, and I'm someone who's ranked 87th in the world right now.

Q. You obviously played at Wimbledon before, as well, but the experience here, has that given you a real taste for playing at this sort of level?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: Yeah, definitely, just being out there on a bigger courts, you know. Obviously more people watching and supporting, it's nice. It's a nice feeling, and it's something, you know, some stage like that is somewhere I want to play and more often.
You just have to create the kind of opportunities for yourself to give yourself a chance out there.

Q. What was it like today compared with playing on the outside courts?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: I guess it was pretty cool. You know, out on -- what was it Court 7, my last match? I felt that was pretty intimate. Today was a bigger court, but I felt in my last match I had quite a bit of support.
You know, it's -- again, it's a new experience for me, and I'm learning with each time I'm out there.

Q. What are the differences between you and Elena Dementieva, in a nutshell?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: She was more consistent than I was today. She obviously has a lot more experience in those kind of situations. Everyone told me her serve is her weakness. She didn't give me one point on her serve. I think for her she served pretty well today.
Yeah, just playing those bigger points bigger than me.

Q. Do you think that's something you'll acquire as you play these top players week in and week out?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: Definitely. The more I'm around these girls, the more I play against them, the more, you know, I'll learn and the more experience I'll have.
You know, most of my career has kind of been made up of ITF tournaments over the last couple of years. You know, I'm now giving myself a chance to go where I want to go.

Q. She was pretty complimentary about you after the match in interview. She said, I thought Anne played really well today. She obviously thought that was your best shot. You didn't think it was your best shot, so I suppose that's quite a positive, really?
ANNE KEOTHAVONG: Yeah, I guess -- I guess -- I mean, it's the first time we played against each other. You know, I just feel like, yeah, I know I can play better. Yeah, that's just the way it is.

End of FastScripts

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