Keothavong cruises into Memphis quarter-finals

Posted: Thursday 19th February 2009 | 9:30

ANNE Keothavong advanced to the quarter-finals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis with a straight sets win.

CONFIDENT: Anne Keothavong is looking to reach her second WTA Tour semi-final of the season in Memphis (Getty Images)

The British number one needed a tie-break to overcome Portugal's Michelle Larcherde Brito in the first set of their second round encounter.

But she closed out the match 7-6, 6-2 in 93 minutes, ten aces to none underlining her dominance against a player ranked 72 places beneath her.

World number 52 Keothavong is seeded fourth in Memphis but will face a sterner quarter-final test if she is to reach her second WTA semi-final of the season.

New Zealand's Marina Erakovic is next up and won their only previous encounter in the final of the pre-Wimbledon event in Surbiton last year.

However, Keothavong and partner Maria Elena Camerin lost in the quarter-finals of doubles, going down 6-4, 6-4 to top seeds Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva.