Keothavong crashes out of Miami in straight sets

The 26-year-old from Middlesex, who missed the latter part of the 2009 season with a serious knee injury, only managed to win 57 per cent of points on her first serve in the opening set of this first-round clash as she let a 3-1 lead slip to a 6-4 loss. And things did not improve as Paszek continued to prosper from Keothavong's problems.

The Briton fell 4-1 behind in the second set on her way to a 4-6, 2-6 defeat in an hour and 19 minutes, this time only winning 27 per cent of her first serve points as she was broken three times.

The result follows Keothavong's first-round exit to Anna Chakvetadze in Indian Wells earlier this month. Paszek will meet Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the next round.

Britain's Heather Watson also suffered a straight-sets defeat, losing, 4-6, 2-6 to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria last night.

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour chief Stacey Allaster says it would be "fantastic" for British women's tennis to have its own Andy Murray, but has warned of the dangers of placing a burden of expectation on 16-year-old Laura Robson.

The British women's game has lacked a true star since Virginia Wade and Sue Barker enjoyed success in the 1970s.

"It would be fantastic for Laura Robson and it would be fantastic for British tennis if she could make the step up," said Allaster. "However we don't want to put too much pressure on her. But if we just look to the transformation of British tennis Andy Murray has provided there is no doubt that Brits love their tennis and love their own.

"It would be fantastic for women's tennis to have our own version of Andy Murray."