British number one Anne Keothavong's dream run in the Warsaw Open finally came to an end in Friday's semi-final.
British number one goes down 6-2 7-5 to Bondarenko
British number one Anne Keothavong's dream run in the Warsaw Open finally came to an end when she lost 6-2 7-5 to Alona Bondarenko in Friday's semi-final.
Keothavong was outclassed by the Ukrainian eighth seed but can still feel proud after becoming the first British woman for 26 years to reach the last four of a WTA clay-court event.
She beat qualifier Ioana Raluca Olaru to reach the semis but Bondarenko - who defeated former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova in her quarter-final - proved a much tougher opponent.
The Ukrainian swept into a 5-1 lead in the first set before a rain break gave Keothavong a brief respite, but Bondarenko then dug deep to win.
Things started going wrong for the British number one in the third game when she slumped to 0-40 on her own serve to give Bondarenko three break points.
Initiative
The Ukrainian took the third of them and having seized the initiative, moved 3-1 and then 4-1 ahead after breaking Keothavong once again.
The heavens then opened just after Bondarenko had taken her own service game to love, bringing play to a temporary halt and giving Keothavong a chance to recover her form.
But Bondarenko took the first set upon the resumption of play and then went about trying to finish her opponent off.
Keothavong - who had earlier been drawn against world number one Dinara Safina in the first round of the French Open - put up more of a fight.
She was ultimately found wanting as Bondarenko broke to go through to the final, where she will face Alexandra Dulgheru after the Romanian teenager defeated Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-1 in Friday's other semi-final.
