Great Britain slip up in Austria tie
Date published : 04 Feb 2010 - 20:59:20
Great Britain were brought back down to earth with a bump in the Fed Cup on Thursday as they lost both singles rubbers in their group clash with Austria.
Anne Keothavong, marking her return to tennis following a six-month absence with a serious knee injury, slipped to a 6-2 6-2 defeat to world number 107 Patricia Mayr in the opening match.
Sybille Bammer then ensured an unassailable lead with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Elena Baltacha.
Great Britain captain Nigel Sears admitted afterwards Austria were deserved winners.
"Naturally I'm disappointed - we were beaten by a better team on the day," he said.
"It's a reflection of the strength of the Austrian team that they've won both singles against Belarus and us.
"I think the girls gave it their very best. There's no question that there's a lot more to come from Annie K.
"It's nice to see her playing again; I just feel it was a bit too much to ask from her on the day."
