KONTA-STIC WIN
Britain’s Johanna Konta reached the Wimbledon third round for the first time on Wednesday with a 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 10-8 win over Donna Vekic which left her opponent in tears.
The 26-year-old Konta triumphed after three hours and 10 minutes in the sweltering Centre Court heat and goes on to face Maria Sakkari of Greece for a last-16 spot.
With Heather Watson having also made the last 32, it is the first time since 1986 that two British women have reached the third round at Wimbledon.
Vekic, watched by boyfriend Stan Wawrinka, the men’s world number three, was inconsolable in defeat having squandered break points in the 17th game of the deciding set.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in. I feel very fortunate to have come through that,” said Konta, who had lost to the 21-year-old Croatian in the Nottingham grass court final last month.
“I overall trusted my game a bit more against her this time. I think the quality of the match today was very high. I’m definitely here with the intention of wanting to be part of the event for the full two weeks.”
Konta fired 55 winners to Vekic’s 42 in the gripping second round clash.
Konta, aiming to be the first British woman to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title since Virginia Wade in 1977, will face Greece’s Maria Sakkari, ranked 101st in the world, in the third round.
Konta has reached the third round for the first time at the All England Club, but after a strong year in which she has established herself in the top 10 the Briton will be looking to advance much further.
She edged the first set, winning the tiebreak to four points, but then the 21-year-old Vekic broke serve in the fifth game of the second set to get the upper hand and the Croat served out to force a deciding set.
The Australia-born Konta saved break point to move into a 7-6 lead but had to regain her composure after taking a tumble in the next game as Vekic held serve to keep the contest level.
With Konta leading 9-8 the Croat saved match point with a blistering ace, but a big forehand winner from the local hope created the second match point and the duel was over when Vekic’s return found the net. — AFP / Reuters