In September and October, she reached three ITF quarterfinals (one $50k, one $25k and one $10k) and one semifinal ($25k). Rape accused Andrew Bretherton denies attacking alleged victim in May She played her final match of her career at the Wimbledon Championships, losing in the first round to teenager Garbie Muguruza, in straight sets. 7 seed, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, in round one, American veteran Jill Craybas in the second round, qualifier Ioana Raluca Olaru in the quarterfinals and was beaten by eighth seed Alona Bondarenko. The court heard she told a rape crisis centre in 2008 that she had agreed to take her trousers off, but told police 10 years later that he had ripped them off. The whole thing is ridiculous, he would never do that [rape], he has never been remotely aggressive. Anne Keothavong's husband on trial for rape | Tennis Forum . An expert instructed by the defence concluded it "could have been caused by consensual or non-consensual intercourse", adding: "It is impossible to distinguish based on two scenarios". Anne Keothavong has not been previously engaged. Sponsored Laotian-British tennis player who won 20 International Tennis Federation singles titles and 8 doubles titles before announcing her retirement from the game in July 2013. 60, Marta Marrero, who she managed to beat in three sets. They were the kids of the 1990s who were born roughly between 1980 and 2000. A wildcard granted Keothavong entry to the main draw of Wimbledon for the fourth consecutive year where she won her first-round match, beating Nicole Pratt, the world No. Andrew campaigns for better conditions and to stop the abuse of people living with ME. She keeps her personal life . This was followed by an attempt to qualify for the Australian Open. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Woman allegedly raped by tennis star's husband accused of 'making a She felt that she was suffocating. She won the $75k event in Barnstaple, defeating Marta Domachowska in the finaland she also won the doubles event with Eva Birnerov. You held your head high and answered all the questions. 56, Mara Snchez Lorenzo (the 16th seed) in the second round and lost in three sets. We have noticed that there is an issue with your subscription billing details. Please check back soon for updates. [15], She started slowly the new season; she played in 13 ITF tournaments and did not pass the second round in any. [3] After that, she became a member of BT Sport's tennis coverage team, alongside Martina Navratilova and fellow British ex-number one Sam Smith. Check back often as we will continue to update this page with new relationship details. In 2015, Bretherton tied the knot with Anne Keothavong, who was previously Britain's number one tennis player. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Anne Keothavong's husband is CLEARED of rape after tennis star broke She has siblings named James, Mark and . Top Contributors this Month Keothavong attended Kingsland Secondary School in Hackney. Anne Keothavongs biography and horoscope. This year, Keothavong and Laura Robson, as members of Team Aegon, received the equivalent of 48k to provide them with personal coaches plus a 12k travel budget.[48]. 233. But on cross-examination today, defense attorney Sarah Forshaw KC accused her of retold her version instead of answering a direct question and . She then attempted to qualify for the Australian Open and won her first match against Jorgelina Cravero[24] before losing her second to Monica Niculescu. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. In her career, she won a total of 28 titles on the ITF Women's Circuit, and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. Keothavong played her first professional match on the ITF Women's Circuit in April 1998, at age 14, when she fell in the first round of qualifying for a $10k tournament in Birmingham. His wife broke down in tears in court as she described her husband as a fantastic person who has never been remotely aggressive when she gave character evidence on Monday. She has siblings named James, Mark and Lena. A second consecutive wildcard gave her entry into the main draw of Wimbledon where she had to withdraw during her first-round match against Katarina Srebotnik with the score at 26, 04. Anne Keothavong's husband Andrew Bretherton, 49, has been cleared of rape after the tennis star broke down in court and branded a US woman's sex attack claims 'a sick joke'. Mr Bretherton married former GB No 1 Anne in 2015, and they have two children. UPDATE: Mr Bretherton was acquitted of all charges by the jury in The woman, who cannot be named, told how she feared corporate lawyer Andrew Bretherton would 'suffocate' her in the bedroom of his 'small flat in a grand building' after he pushed her face into the pillow with his 'semi-professional tennis arm'. In the Madrid Open, she beat Mariana Duque Marino in round one[42] before losing to Lucie afov in the second round. Time magazine called them The Me Me Me Generation because they want it all. Rape accused Andrew Bretherton denies attacking alleged victim in May Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. She was then given a wildcard into the main draw of the Birmingham Classic where she lost to Laura Granville in the first round. 5 seed, Elena Dementieva, proved too much for Keothavong in the third round; Keothavong lost. When Bretherton turned the woman over, she was able to roll away and ran to his bathroom, locking the door behind her, the court heard. She is a regular at the All England Club and was pictured in 2019 with the Duchess of Cambridge. Mr Bretherton, who had bought a packed bag with him, showed little visible emotion as the jury foreman said he was not guilty of each charge while his wife wept in the public gallery. Member of the Order of the British Empire, "Anne Keothavong is first Briton to reach WTA semi-final on clay for 26 years", "Fed Cup: Great Britain promoted to World Group II with play-off win over Kazakhstan", "How Anne Keothavong plans to beat big stars", "Laos through my eyes Anne Keothavong | Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs", "Keothavong plays down hype and raises the hope", "X-rated Bjorkman brings back the bad days of Mac | Sport", "Wedding bells: Anne Keothavong becomes Mrs. Bretherton", "How Anne Keothavong found a winning touch", "British pair unable to jump the final hurdle", "Baltacha saves day as home players fall", "Keothavong win ends long wait for women", "Hilton claims Costa scalp for biggest win of career", "Britain's Fed Cup squad manage to miss relegation play-off despite loss", "Hantuchova, Kirilenko advance in Sunfeast Open", "Keothavong, Koryttseva Reach Maiden Tour Quarterfinals", "Koryttseva, Keothavong in Sunfeast semis", "Four British players rise above heat to win qualifying matches", "Henman's conqueror Tsonga provides first obstacle for Murray", "Anne Keothavong dodges hostilities to enhance Wimbledon claims", "Keothavong flying flag for British women", "Eaton devoured by steely Tursunov as ace 'rifle' misfires", "Keothavong advances on special day with ace", "Keothavong hits new heights with win over seed", "Keothavong runs Dementieva close in uplifting display", "Keothavong misses out on first WTA final in Auckland", "Keothavong produces 'one of best wins' to see off Szvay", "Keothavong falls to Wozniacki in Memphis semi-final", "Keothavong slams LTA after entering world top 50", "Keothavong battles to second round in Morocco", "Anne Keothavong over first hurdle in Madrid Open", "Anne Keothavong knocked out of the French Open by Dinara Safina", "British No 1 Anne Keothavong crashes out of Aegon Classic", "Anne Keothavong: 'I didn't want to lose my handbag. Andrew became an advocate for people with ME when he himself was diagnosed in 2015. ONeill told Inner London crown court: She was very happy in his company that evening, and viewed him as. Defended by Sarah Forshaw KC of . He held her so hard that she was unable to see anything.. Andrew Bretherton, 49,pictured outside Inner London Crown Court, was accused of raping the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at his flat in Kensington, south west London, in May 2008, Bretherton, pictured with his wife former British tennis number one Anne Keothavong, right, denied the allegation. In late April and early May, she represented Britain in the Fed Cup and won all three of her singles rubbers, but lost her one and only doubles match with partner, Elena Baltacha, before going on to lose in the first round of qualifying for the French Open to Kvta Peschke. 1. Show more. Bretherton picked up after the officer persisted and said he was racking his brain for any incident in his life that could prompt the allegation. 'I wish you and all your family the very best for the future.'. [15], The first tournament of 2003 for her was the qualifying event for the Hobart International where she lost to Tiffany Dabek in the first round. In the run up to Wimbledon, Keothavong was given a wildcard into the main draw of the Birmingham Classic where in the first round she faced world No. Her year-end ranking for 2005 was world No. [20] In May, she reached the semifinals of a $25k event in Monzn where she lost to Angelique Kerber. 'I thought rape claim was a sick joke': Anne Keothavong - Express She won the match[30] and then went on to beat Francesca Schiavone in the second round in three sets. Furthermore, she has made no mention of her husband. UPDATE: Andrew Bretherton was acquitted unanimously by the jury on December 14, 2022. A corporate lawyer married to Britains former number one tennis star Anne Keothavongwent on trial today accused of rape. Keothavong announced her retirement on 24 July 2013. The defendant said he has never owned a silver boombox and has never had a CD or tape that features that track. Former British tennis star Anne Keothavong sobbed in court yesterday as she called the rape allegations against her husband a "sick joke". The former British number one was in tears as she defended her husband. She then faced Marta Domachowska and went down in three sets after she won the first. These 20-somethings to early 30-year-olds have redefined the workplace. Andrew Bretherton found not guilty after inconsistencies in his alleged victim's evidence were pointed out during the two-week trial . They reached the quarterfinals together. Anne Keothavong - Net Worth 2022, Age, Height, Weight, Bio, Career Rape accused Andrew Bretherton denies attacking alleged victim in May [44] She was then defeated in the first round of the Eastbourne International by world No. Anne Keothavong Boyfriend 2023: Dating History & Exes - CelebsCouples During cross-examination, his lawyer Sarah Forshaw KC told jurors that there were too many inconsistencies in the alleged victim's account for them to be sure that she was telling the truth. Keothavong's 2008 campaign began when Keothavong failed to qualify for the Tier-II tournament, the Sydney International. Former British tennis ace Anne Keothavong weeps in court as she defends Is Anne Keothavong married or single, and who is she dating now? This was followed by a wildcard into the Eastbourne qualifying tournament where Arantxa Parra Santonja defeated her in the first round. 1 and in 2009 became the first British player to make the WTA top 50 since 1993. Mrs Forshaw KC told jurors: 'You will want to consider whether she is a person who has the ability to dramatise a perfectly ordinary accident. Please, The subscription details associated with this account need to be updated. ", The alleged victim then left the flat and Bretherton said: "We didn't really speak after that.". Woman allegedly raped by tennis star's husband, who is accused of The alleged victim said she went to Bretherton's flat in Kensington, west London, after a date in May 2008. [17] The eventual champion, Maria Sharapova, beat her in the second round. She told Mr Bretherton: 'As I am sure you understand, once a complaint is made the officers are only doing their job. Anne Keothavong was born on 16 September, 1983 in Hackney, London, is a British tennis player. Elena Baltacha was her conqueror in the Hastings Direct whereas Jelena Jankovi was the victor over Keothavong in Wimbledon. 8 seed and eventual champion, Petra Kvitov. Accused of date rape, the lawyer husband of former tennis ace The comments below have not been moderated, By Do not sell or share my personal information. Bretherton, who qualified at elite law firm Slaughter and May, met the woman . said Andrew . [40], Following this, Keothavong began her clay court season by defeating Maret Ani to reach the second round of the Grand Prix in Fes, Morocco[41] where she was defeated by Lourdes Domnguez Lino. [25] February saw her join compatriots, Melanie South, Katie O'Brien and Elena Baltacha, to represent Britain in the Fed Cup. wtatourfan Super Moderator. 84.[15]. [5][6] Her father, Somsak, encouraged her to play short tennis from an early age. Tennis star Anne Keothavong breaks down in tears as she defends husband She then began covering the WTA Tour as a broadcaster with BT Sport. A stone's throw from where her tennis story began, Anne Keothavong is a buzz of energy and enthusiasm. Despite Keothavong winning each of her three singles matches in the round-robin stage, Britain was forced to fight relegation from the Europe/Africa Group I by playing Portugal. The husband of former British tennis number one Anne Keothavong, Andrew Bretherton (pictured), is accused of raping a woman at his flat after a romantic date in 2008. . In April, she reached the semifinals of the $25k event in Patras and competed for Great Britain in the Fed Cup where she won one of her three singles rubbers. At Wimbledon, Keothavong defeated fellow Brit Naomi Broady in the first round before losing in the second round to No. Anne was born in the 1980s. Woman allegedly raped by tennis star's husband, who is accused of Brian O'Neill KC, prosecuting, said the alleged victim had given a 'broadly consistent' account of the alleged attack. She defeated Australian wildcard Emily Fanning in the first round, and followed this with a victory over Varvara Lepchenko. Interviewed by police 11 years after the alleged attack, Bretherton said: "It would have been consensual. She battled past Ivana Lisjak in three sets before only dropping two games in a drubbing of Daniilidou. [61] As well as her forehand, she can rely on her first-serve to get her some easy points as she often has a high first-serve percentage and usually wins the majority of points on her first-serve. Lets find out! Keothavong then competed in two Premier tournaments, the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open. Anne Keothavong was born on the 16th of September in 1983 (Millennials Generation). Mr Bretherton married the former British No 1 tennis star in 2015, and they have two children. Sarah Forshaw told the jury: Whilst we were going out he was a very nice person to take him to my parents, they loved him. 5KBW (@5KBW) / Twitter Anne Keothavong - Wikipedia George Odling Crime Correspondent For The Daily Mail She is not dating anyone currently. 'This case is not easy and cases of this type never are. who married tennis star Miss Keothavong, 39, in 2015, denies two counts of rape. According to our records, she has no children. 168.[15]. 28, Sybille Bammer, but saw off a mugger in central London who tried to snatch her handbag[45] before heading to Wimbledon, where she experienced a first-round loss to world No. Anne Keothavong exclusive interview: 'Britain gave my parents a chance 80, Patricia Mayr. 48 (achieved February 2009). Corporate lawyer Bretherton, who married Ms Keothavong in February 2015, denies two counts of rape. Bretherton was interviewed on January 15, 2019, and told officers the pair had engaged in consensual sex, during which she became angry and upset, the court heard. [1] She also reached the semifinals of six WTA International tournaments, and the semifinals of one Premier tournament. She made it to the semifinals after taking out Shapatava, Kristina Antoniychuk and Valrie Ttreault, in straight sets. When is Anne Keothavongs birthday? She denied this and said she had already spent three years researching how she could take the case forward. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in. The 39-year-old American was born in the Year of the Pig and is part of Millennials Generation. Other details Bretherton denied included the woman's claims she was relieved there was a lock on his bathroom door, claiming she feared he would try and murder her. Jurors had previously heard Jurors took less than an hour to unanimously acquit Andrew Bretherton, 49, of two counts of rape alleged to have taken place over 14 years ago in May 2008. [Active from 1998 until her retirement on 24 July 2013] Parents were from Laos and her brother James is a tennis umpire. She qualified for the Internationaux de Strasbourg, a Tier-III tournament, where she lost to Anna Smashnova in the first round. Join Community Grow Your Business. Keothavong played her first event of the 2012 season at the Auckland Open where she was the top-seed in the qualifying tournament. Two weeks later she reached the quarterfinals of a $25k in Redbridge, London and the week after that lost in the final of yet another $25k event in Ostrava. Andrew Bretherton, husband of UK tennis star Anne Keothavong has been cleared of rape at Inner London Crown Court. [59], Keothavong was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to tennis. The alleged rape victim waited for 10-and-a-half years before naming Mr Bretherton to police. Bretherton, 49, who is a lawyer, has denied the accusations he raped the woman at his flat on their fourth date, claiming any intercourse that night was consensual. As in 2006, June saw Keothavong lose in the first round of Birmingham, the Eastbourne International and Wimbledon after she was given a wildcard into each of these events. 48, her debut in the top 50. Anne Keothavong reigns as next British Fed Cup - Tennis World USA Anne Keothavong is known for being a Tennis Player. 52 to world No. She did not play again that year and finished with a ranking of world No. She also reached one more $25k final this year, also in Lagos, where she lost to Petra Cetkovsk in three sets. However Keothavong did manage to claim victory in her other two singles ties against players from Belarus and the Netherlands. Continuing competition on the ITF Circuit, she won a $50k tournament in Jounieh, Lebanon (despite break outs of fighting between Shia and Hezbollah militia less than ten miles away in Beirut). However, you will find some great articles which you can comment on right now in our Comment section. Jurors took less than an hour to unanimously acquit Andrew Bretherton, 49, of two counts of rape alleged to have taken place more than 14 years ago in May 2008. I was brought up to respect women. 894646. Ms Keothavong described her husband as a "fantastic person" who she "loves even more" as the rape case . [36] Despite this crushing defeat, a semifinal run was enough to help Keothavong make the hop from world No. Anne Keothavong is single. The solicitor husband of ex-British tennis star Anne Keothavong had [11] At the age of seven, she took up tennis at Hackney Downs and Highbury Fields. But it later emerged she had never mentioned that when she visited a rape crisis centre within a week of the alleged attack. The issues are classic ones for a jury as they are one person's word against another with no supporting witnesses to support the account. But Bretherton told police he could only remember two - a meal at a steak restaurant and a drink at a pub called the Devonshire Arms near his home in Kensington, west London. [29] After Wimbledon, Keothavong made a successful start to her American hardcourt season by winning three matches to qualify for the Tier II event in Stanford. The former tennis champion and her husband hugged and kissed outside the courtroom after the case finished. Tennis ace Anne Keothavong shed tears in court after her lawyer husband was on Wednesday cleared of raping a woman before they were married. Andrew Bretherton, husband of former tennis star Anne Keothavong, went on trial today accused of raping a woman in 2008 (WireImage) By Gwyn Wright, Sam Elliott-Gibbs Bretherton insists it was accidental. In the first round she faced world No. In Sunderland, her fourth consecutive final of August and September, she won by again beating Hannah Collin. Registered in England No. Woman allegedly raped by tennis star's husband, who is accused of Keothavong had little success during the US Open Series, but the majority of her successes for 2011 came during the European hardcourt series towards the end of the year. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. An American woman who says she was raped by the husband of former British tennis number one Anne Keothavong was accused of 'making a mountain out of a molehill', a court heard today.The alleged victim claims that corporate lawyer Andrew Bretherton pinned her face down on his bed and suffocated her until she feared she Anne Keothavong also has a ruling planet of Mercury. If you see something that doesnt look right, contact us. 10:49 EDT 06 Mar 2023. Keothavong reached her first WTA final with doubles partner Valeria Savinykh, surprisingly reaching the doubles final of the Brasil Tennis Cup. Andrew Bretherton has been unanimously acquitted of two counts of rape alleged to have taken place in May 2008, Donald Trump to arrive in UK in week of Coronation, I wasnt good at being a performing monkey, King reveals in BBC documentary, Jewish leaders want to meet Guardian editor over anti-Semitic Richard Sharp cartoon, Islamic State leader killed in Syria by Turkish intelligence services, says president, The Kings Coronation could herald a beautiful bloom of wildflowers, Duke of Sussex waxwork reunited with royals at Madame Tussauds, when she gave character evidence on Monday. Andrew Bretherton denies the claims against him. She then entered the French Open where she lost a closely fought match in the first round to Vesna Dolonc. In late April, Keothavong competed in the Fed Cup and helped Britain avoid relegation from the Africa/Europe Zone Group I by beating Caroline Wozniacki to help Britain beat Denmark. In the third round Keothavong lost to Jamie Hampton. The court was also told she initially refused to give police access to certain material such as her therapist's records. But it later emerged that she had never mentioned that when she visited a rape crisis centre within a week of the alleged attack. [60], Keothavong's greatest strength is her powerful forehand which she uses to try to dominate play from the baseline and she adds as much topspin as possible to increase the probability of the ball landing in court. The court heard the woman only became interested in taking the case further after reading about a civil suit Harvey Weinstein was facing in Britain. Recent photographs of the flat showed there is currently no lock on the bathroom door, the jury was told. [18] After Wimbledon, Keothavong played in two $50k events in the United States reaching the second round in one and the quarterfinals in the second, in Lexington, Kentucky where she had to withdraw due to sustaining serious ligament damage[19] with the score at 57, 35. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Following this she lost in qualifying for the Rogers Cup, the US Open and Bali before going on to reach her first ever WTA Tour semifinal in the Sunfeast Open, a Tier-III tournament held in Kolkata. The couple has been trying to shield their two children, aged five and seven, from the high-profile case, the court heard. The husband of Britain's former tennis number one Anne Keothavong yesterday denied raping a woman saying: "It was 100 percent consensual.". The court was told that he met the complainant in the summer of 2007, and then again at a drinks party the following year, the Daily Mail reported. Former British number one tennis star Anne Keothavong sobbed in court yesterday as she described rape allegations made against her husband as a 'sick joke.'Corporate lawyer Andrew Bretherton, 49, is on trial accused of raping an American woman in his west London flat after the pair shared a date in May 2008. This was followed by another first-round defeat in a Premier event in the Italian Open, this one at the hands of Carla Surez Navarro. Keothavong then moved on to Torhout, Belgium for a $50k event. 48 (achieved February 2009). Anne Keothavong height, weight & body stats, Anne Keothavongs biography and horoscope. Virgos are often slow to fall in love. She then returned to the ITF Circuit playing $25k tournaments and won one more title, in Perov. After Bretherton got down from the stand, and his wife took his place, she was also emotional as she told the court: The Andrew I know is a fantastic person, he is truly is a decent, decent man who makes me laugh every day, who makes me feel good about myself and a fantastic, fantastic father and great husband - he is very kind.. During her career she won a total of 20 International Tennis Federation singles titles, 8 ITF doubles titles and reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. The first of the two tournaments in Bath was also the only time Keothavong competed with her sister Lena in doubles on the ITF Circuit. The least compatible signs with Virgo are generally considered to be Gemini and Sagittarius. Keothavong went straight into the main draw at the Australian Open, but had to retire due to illness from her first-round match after losing the first set to Mona Barthel. Less than a week after her loss in Miami, Keothavong bounced back in a $75k event in Monzn, Spain. Former British Tennis Player Anne Keothavong's Husband Accused Of Rape En route, she defeated Mirjana Lui, No. Anne Viensouk Keothavong is a retired Laotian-British tennis player. She married Andrew Bretherton in February 2015. An American woman who says she was raped by the husband of former British tennis number one Anne Keothavong has been accused of 'making a mountain out of a News Business He told jurors: 'Quite why she waited as long as she did until she made a formal complaint to the police is something to which you will wish to give careful consideration. The woman told police that Mr Bretherton had played Welcome to the Jungle by Guns 'N Roses before attacking her. 'Is it or may it be because she is anxious to secure a criminal conviction before pursuing a civil claim for damages, or can you be sure that this is simply a case of her finally being emboldened to come forward? 'Her repeated refusal to give the police access to various material such as her therapist's records might be because she had something to hide as has been suggested to you by the defence or might be nothing more than a legitimate desire to protect her privacy and prevent strangers from looking through irrelevant personal material.