Tennis News

With Wimbledon just three weeks away, expectations are high for British No.1 Johanna Konta. In the last 12 months, she has undergone a career transformation which has seen her go from a grateful wildcard to a true WTA contender, and with it comes the pressure.

Sky Sports caught up with Konta in Nottingham ahead of her landmark opening round win at the Aegon Open Nottingham, where she’s once again made British tennis history.

“I started playing when I was eight,” Konta told Sky Sports. “When I was nine, I decided I wanted to be No.1 in the world.”

With her victory yesterday over Victoria Duval, 25-year-old Konta is one step closer to fulfilling her childhood dream. Her WTA ranking has now risen to World No.18, making her the first British woman in 33 years to break the Top 20 since Jo Durie in October 1983. It’s an even more remarkable feat considering that Konta started out the year ranked at No.48.

Her name is now etched in the history books, but for Konta, not much has changed.

“Well, a lot of external things have changed,” Konta conceded. “But at home, and how I feel about my tennis, it’s very much the same.

“I consider myself very lucky to be able to do what I love. I very much don’t take anything for granted.”

MELBOURNE, Australia – Six years after her four-hour epic against Francesca Schiavone at this very tournament, No.8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova came out on the winning side of Friday’s titanic three-setter against former No.1 Jelena Jankovic, 6-4, 5-7, 9-7, to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open.

“It was crazy,” Kuznetsova admitted in her inimitable way after the match. “I was up set and 4-1 with a double break. Then I found myself down 3-0 and 15-40 on my serve in third set.

“It was a bit insane, but it’s a tennis match, anything can happen; it’s never done until you shake the hand.”

Kuznetsova is no stranger to long matches in Australia, having narrowly lost to Schiavone, 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 in what remains the longest Grand Slam match in WTA history back at four hours and 44 minutes in 2011.

There were few signs from the outset that her encounter against Jankovic would approach that duration, as the Russian raced out to a set and double break lead, serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. Jankovic turned the tables on Kuznetsova at the 11th hour to win the final three games of the second set and force a decider.

Serving second in the final set, the No.8 seed twice fell behind a break as Jankovic served for a 5-2 lead. Kuznetsova promptly broke back and earned a chance to serve out the match; not to be outdone, Jankovic leveled proceedings at five games apiece and kept things on serve until the fateful 15th game.

“It’s so tough, especially after three and a half hours of playing, that one of us had to lose,” Jankovic said after the match. “Unfortunately, it was me. I’m quite disappointed after such a battle, and it’s not easy to accept. I had my chances and I gave myself the opportunity to win the match.

“After 3-0, I wasn’t making as many first serves in; I don’t know if it was because I got tired spending a lot of hours out there. I haven’t competed much, and my percentage of first serves went down, so I couldn’t hold my serve for a while.

“I still have to work hard to get back to my best level, but at the end, Sveta was fitter than me in the end. I tried so hard, but I couldn’t move anymore and she was the one still standing.”

Svetlana #Kuznetsova is through after 3 hours and 36 mins #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/kMr2owinb5

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2017

The third time proved lucky for the three-time Australian Open quarterfinalist, who served out the win on her first match point after three hours and 36 minutes on court.

Up next for Kuznetsova is No.24 seed and compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who earned the biggest upset thus far on Day 5 by knocking out No.11 seed Elina Svitolina in three sets.

4R awaits Svetlana #Kuznetsova #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/qyd07fiQcp

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2017

MELBOURNE, Australia – The second week is about to get underway at the Australian Open, and World No.1 Angelique Kerber and French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza headlining Day 7 Down Under.

We preview all the day’s biggest matchups right here on wtatennis.com.

Sunday, Fourth Round

[1] Angelique Kerber (GER #1) vs CoCo Vandeweghe (USA #35)
Head-to-head: Kerber leads, 2-0
Key Stat: Vandeweghe is one of four Americans in the Round of 16.

After two tough matches to start her title defense, Kerber looked much stronger in an emphatic third round win over Kristyna Pliskova. The top seed faced down the Czech youngster’s intimidating serve by winning more than half of her points on return as she advanced into the second week for the second straight year.

Her next opponent is into the second week of a major tournament for just the second time in her career, as CoCo Vandeweghe recovered from 4-2 in the final set against Eugenie Bouchard to pull off the win. Vandeweghe hit 11 aces and won 85% of her first serve to topple the former World No.5, and will need a similarly efficient serving day against the defending champion.

Can Kerber keep her hopes of a third Grand Slam title alive?

Sorana Cirstea (ROU #78) vs [7] Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP #7)
Head-to-head: First meeting
Key Stat: Cirstea is enjoying her best Grand Slam finish since the 2009 French Open.

Muguruza’s first week in Melbourne could well serve as a microcosm of her ups and downs since winning her maiden major title last spring. While the Spaniard hasn’t dropped a set through three wins, she still had a scare halfway through her first round, when she took a medical timeout for fear of exascerbating the right thigh injury that forced her to retire at the Brisbane International.

Despite the hiccup, Muguruza has played her best tennis at a major tournament since last year’s Roland Garros, and will be a tough out for Cirstea, a former World No.21.

The Romanian appeared to be at the height of her career just three years ago when she roared into the Rogers Cup final, but a shoulder injury stunted her progress and led her to re-work her service motion. Winning her first matches in Melbourne since 2014, Cirstea bettered her previous best finish Down Under with wins over Irina Khromacheva, No.10 seed Carla Suárez Navarro, and an in-form Alison Riske.

Can Cirstea cause the first big upset of the second week?

Around the Grounds…

Starting off Day 7 on Rod Laver Arena is an all-Russian affair between No.8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and rival No.24 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who stunned No.11 seed Elina Svitolina in three sets. No.13 seed Venus Williams follows on Laver against qualifier Mona Barthel.