It may not have been the first round but it still didn’t take long for the British influence to end in the Women’s draw at the Australian Open.
Elena Baltacha, ranked 55 in the world, was always going to be up against it taking on the 2004 Australian Open Champion Justine Henin.
Henin broke the Scot in the first game and took only 27 minutes to take the first set 6-1. Baltacha fought back in the second, managing to go toe-to-toe with her esteemed opponent. But with Henin 4-3 up Balatcha lost her serve, allowing the Belgian to serve out the match 6-3 and anyone following the Goalwire live score wouldn’t have been too surprised by the result.
It didn’t get any better for Britain with Anne Keothavong either as she also departed at the second round stage.
The British number two took control early on against Germany’s Andrea Petkovic when she broke to make it 3-2 in the opening set. She then received a controversial line call that put her 5-2 up – a call that incensed her opponent. Keothavong subsequently sealed the set 6-2 and things were looking up. But that was as good as it got for the 27-year-old.
The second set was a see-saw battle, with neither player able to hold their serve. Keothavong broke back at 5-3 down but was unable to level things up with her own serve, allowing Petkovic – who had her ankle heavily strapped – to level the game.
Whether Keothavong’s spirit was broken, Petkovic picked up her game or a combination of the two the Briton’s game nosedived in the final set, becoming riddled with errors, allowing Petkovic to wrap up 6-0, British fans of livescore tennis would have been disappointed at the manner of her capitulation.
So once again less than a week into a major tournament the British hopes once again rest with Andy Murray, who must wish for someone else to come forward and take the pressure of his shoulders as much as the British tennis public does.
