Belief spurs Cavaday to pull off stunning triumph

Naomi Cavaday pulled off the best victory of her fledgling career to reach the third round of the Aegon Classic here yesterday. Cavaday, a 20-year-old wild-card entry from Kent, gained a 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 second-round win over the experienced Tamarine Tanasugarn, a player 12 years her senior and 250 places higher in the world rankings.

Cavaday's victory over the 12th seed from Thailand, who was a Wimbledon quarter-finalist last year, helped to make up for the exit of British No 1 Anne Keothavong on the third day of the Wimbledon warm-up tournament. There were nine breaks of serve in a fluctuating match that finally swung the Briton's way when she broke her opponent in the seventh game of the deciding set and served out for victory.

"It was definitely a tough one," Cavaday said. "She has a great record on grass and has a great record full stop. The biggest thing today was my belief. That's what got me through during the tough times in the match."

The British No 6 will now play Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele, last week's runner-up at the Aegon Trophy in Nottingham, for a place in the quarter-finals. Keothavong, the 25-year-old world No 49 who put out Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson in the first round to gain her first victory at Edgbaston for five years, was beaten 6-1, 7-6 by India's Sania Mirza.