Konta seeks place in Wimbledon semi-finals

  • Posted: Jul 08, 2019
Wimbledon 2019 on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 1-14 July
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If Britain’s Johanna Konta finds herself in a third set in Tuesday’s Wimbledon quarter-final, she can draw confidence from the fact that on recent form she is likely to pull through.

The British number one came from behind to beat two-time champion Petra Kvitova to win her 13th of 15 three-setters in 2019 and faces Barbora Strycova next.

“That’s something I can be really proud of,” the 28-year-old said.

“It comes with match fitness, as well, with playing a lot of them.”

Konta will face Strycova on Centre Court after 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams takes on fellow American Alison Riske at 13:00 BST.

The Briton is one win away from emulating her 2017 feat of reaching the last four and two away from becoming the first British women’s singles finalist since Virginia Wade won the title in 1977.

“The experience that I had in 2017 was a magnificent one. It was something that is incredibly special to me,” Konta said.

“Equally how I’m doing so far, I’m just really pleased with the level I’m playing, how I’m competing, how I’m really just trying to find a way in each match that I play.”

She has faced Czech world number 54 Strycova just once before, losing in straight sets on a hard court in Tokyo in 2017.

“She’s a very crafty player,” Konta said. “She knows how to mix up the game. She knows how to play on this surface.

“To know… that I have the capability to stay there as long as I need to for however long, even if losing the first set, I know I have every opportunity to get back into the match.”

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Analysis – ‘Konta has a shot at winning’

Three-time Wimbledon singles champion John McEnroe on BBC TV

I admire Konta’s fighting qualities. Everything about her game is very meticulously planned out. To me she is a better player now than when she got to the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2017.

She is mixing up her serve nicely. The team has looked back on her career and realised that variety is the spice of life and that could help her in the end.

I’m not going to say she’s the favourite to win this but she’s got a shot at it, for sure.

Williams faces debutant – and has a Murray debate to settle

If Konta can beat Strycova, she would face the winner of the match between Williams and Riske, who beat world number one Ashleigh Barty to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.

Williams will play two matches in one day on Centre Court, playing her singles quarter-final before returning to action after Konta’s match to continue her high-profile mixed doubles partnership with Britain’s Andy Murray.

They face American Raquel Atawo and Frenchman Fabrice Martin in the second round as former world number one Murray continues his comeback following hip surgery.

They gelled well in their first crowd-pleasing display on Saturday, but they still need to sort out one issue – their nickname.

“He did tweet Ser-Andy. I was like, ‘I like Murena. My vote is still for Murena’,” Williams smiled.

Seventh seed Simona Halep is the highest ranked player left in the women’s singles after defeats on Monday for Barty and third seed Karolina Pliskova.

She faces China’s Zhang Shuai, who is ranked 50th in the world but who has posed the Romanian problems in the past, including a stunning upset in the 2016 Australian Open first round.

“Things are different now,” Halep said. “I don’t want to think about the past that much. I’m different and I’m feeling different on court. This is what matters.”

In the other quarter-final, Ukrainian eighth seed Elina Svitolina takes on Czech world number 68 Karolina Muchova.

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