Konta shows grit and Brit heart
UPSET The 26yearold only British flagbearer after Andy Murray gets knocked out by Sam Querrey in quarterfinals
Johanna Konta was born in Australia to Hungarian parents and trained in Spain, but she is the reigning darling of Britain.
Konta, 26, who likes to discuss muffin baking and her adoration of the band U2, captivated her adopted nation Tuesday by ending a 39-year spell of futility for British women at Wimbledon.
The sixth-seeded Konta, who gained her British citizenship in 2012, came from a set down to defeat No. 2 Simona Halep, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-4, and became the first British woman to advance to a Wimbledon singles semifinal since Virginia Wade in 1978.
“To be in the semifinals of my home Slam, and to do that in front of a full Centre Court, I mean, it’s pretty, pretty special,” Konta said, referring to the Grand Slam tournament.
Wade, who is also the last British woman to win the event, in 1977, watched nervously from the royal box, and when victory was ensured, she beamed with joy and high-fived the guests sitting near her in a celebration of British tennis.
“I was so happy for her,” Wade told a pool reporter. “I know how much pressure there is, but she behaves very nicely.”
On Wednesday, Sam Querrey fired his 27th ace to beat top seed Andy Murray 3-6 6-4 6-7(4) 6-1 6-1 and become the first American man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Andy Roddick in 2009.
But Konta’s next barrier in her quest is a tall one. She will play No. 10 Venus Williams, a fivetime Wimbledon singles champion who beat the reigning French Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 7-5, with little difficulty.
Konta was not the only player to achieve a milestone for her nation on Tuesday. The unseeded Magdalena Rybarikova became the first woman from Slovakia to reach a Wimbledon semifinal when she beat CoCo Vandeweghe, 6-3, 6-3.
The match was suspended in the middle of the second set because of rain and then moved to Centre Court. Vandeweghe, who had been playing so well under her new coach, Pat Cash, handed Rybarikova more than half of her 59 points, with 30 unforced errors and seven double faults.
“That’s why Grand Slams are the hardest tournaments,” Vandeweghe said. “They’re over two weeks, and you have to play well for two weeks.”
Rybarikova, 28, has done that for several months now, after recovering from left wrist and right knee surgery a year ago. Her victory made this the 17th straight Grand Slam tournament with a first-time women’s semifinalist, underscoring the wideopen nature of the women’s game during the past four years. Rybarikova, ranked No. 87, will play 14th-seeded Garbiñe Muguruza, who beat No. 7 Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-3, 6-4.
The fifth women’s winner on the day did not even play. With Halep’s loss, Karolina Pliskova will rise to the No. 1 ranking when the new WTA rankings come out Monday. Pliskova, who lost to Rybarikova in the second round, replaces Angelique Kerber, who was eliminated by Muguruza on Monday.
Konta is No. 1 with British fans, many of whom stood in a steady rain inside the grounds to watch her historic victory. They huddled under umbrellas on the so-called Henman Hill, watching on a giant video screen as Konta played under the roof of Centre Court. “We’re born waterproof here, so we’re used to this,” said Paul Austen, a retired archaeologist from Carlisle, England, referring to the rain — not to a British woman’s reaching the semifinals. “It’s terrific for British tennis.”
One school group traveled from the county of Shropshire, three hours northwest of here, and also stood in the rain as Konta overcame a sluggish start to overwhelm the steady Halep in the end.
“I think because it’s her, the British fans are willing to break out their brollies and stand in this rain,” said Matt Lowe, a physical education teacher from Shropshire, referring to umbrellas. “She’s got a real chance.”
One of the steadiest players on tour, Halep made only nine unforced errors in the match, which included 226 points. But Konta was the aggressor and scored 48 winners. She played patiently, moving Halep farther and farther out wide until she found her opening and then drove home decisive winners with both her backhand and her forehand.
Against Williams, she will have to return one of the best serves on grass, and contend with Williams’ cunning and power.
KONTA’S NEXT BARRIER IN HER QUEST IS A TALL ONE. SHE WILL PLAY NO. 10 VENUS WILLIAMS, A FIVETIME WIMBLEDON SINGLES CHAMPION, IN THE SEMIFINALS.