Keothavong crushed ater Flushing Meadows collapse

Britain's Anne Keothavong last night admitted she needed time to "reassess" her career after crashing out of the US Open with a first-round defeat to Yung-Jan Chan in sweltering conditions at Flushing Meadows.

Keothavong appeared on course to join compatriot Elena Baltacha in the second round when she cruised through the opening set, but then lost 12 of the next 14 games as world No 77 Chan of Chinese Taipei completed a 2-6 6-1 6-1 victory on Court 14.

It was a second disappointing performance in succession in a Grand Slam for the British No 3, who lost to Anastasia Rodionova in the first round at Wimbledon this summer after leading 4-0 in the final set.

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The 26-year-old Londoner was ranked as high as 48th in the world in February last year, but then ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in July, a similar injury she suffered to her right knee in 2004.

"My ranking and my tennis isn't where I would want it to be, I have higher expectations for myself," a tearful Keothavong said.

Asked about getting back to her best, she added: "I'm not the player I was two years ago here (when she reached the third round). I don't know. Who knows what's going to happen after this? I'm going to need time to reassess and decide what I want to do."

Keothavong had no answer to Chan's irritating use of "moon balls" – slow, defensive, looping shots – and as the match progressed the 26-year-old Londoner grew increasingly frustrated and made a raft of unforced errors.

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"I played a good first set and was completely dominating and then she changed her tactics and started throwing in the moon balls and I just didn't deal with it very well," admitted Keothavong, who also received treatment for blisters on her feet early in the deciding set.

"You either have to be brave and take it on and come forward or step back and be strong and work your way within the point. I got stuck in between and it wasn't very good.

"In some ways you've got to give it to her because it worked and she just kept doing it. It's not the way I expected her to play but against me today it was effective. She changed her tactics and that's where I shot myself in the foot.

"I've been playing long enough, I should know better. It happens to all of us when you might not think as clearly as you would like out there."

Andy Murray will finally open his US Open campaign today.

Murray will have been in New York for 11 days by the time he steps on court to take on world No 71 Lukas Lacko.

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