Jo’s in it for the long run
THREE YEARS ago, Caroline Wozniacki ran the New York Marathon in less than three and a half hours.
Johanna Konta will know she will have to run and run – and likely run some more – if she is to dismiss the Dane and claim the Miami Open title this afternoon. And all that after completing a lengthy semi-final battle with her hero Venus Williams in the early hours of yesterday morning.
“I’m definitely going to be looking forward to playing a lot of balls and a lot of tough points,” said Konta. “She’s one of the best athletes in the game. She ran a marathon for goodness sake.
“I’m sure it’ll be a match where I’ll be running a lot. Hopefully we’ll make it a great match in the final.”
Konta was just six years old when Williams first claimed the Miami title 19 years ago. Now 25, the British No 1 racked up her third straight win over the elder Williams sister to earn her shot at Wozniacki as the first British woman to reach the final of this tournament.
In October Konta became the first British woman to crack the world’s top 10 since 1984, in January she won the Sydney International, and she can reach a new career-high mark of world No 7 if she can dispatch Wozniacki – something she managed in the third round of this year’s Australian Open.
The clock had ticked past midnight and most of the crowd had long since departed before Konta eventually put away the 36-year-old Williams 6-4, 7-5 after more than two hours of attrition on the Crandon Park hardcourt.
“Thanks to everyone who stayed – good morning by the way,” Konta joked in a courtside interview to an almost empty stadium after the pair traded eight breaks of serve in a baseline slugfest. incredibly close, back-and-forths in of every game.
“I feel very fortunate that I was able to take advantage of a couple more opportunities than her. It really could have gone either way.”
Wozniacki laboured while dropping a 62-minute first set against Karolina Pliskova before rallying to prevail 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.
“Fitness is something I’m working really hard on every day. It’s a huge part of my game,” said Wozniacki, who was beaten by the big-serving Czech in the Doha final last month.
“It was definitely a mental grind. Having two or three set points in that first set and ending up losing it is kind of depressing, but I got a good start to the second set and that got me fired up and I just kept playing.”
Wozniacki, a part-time south Florida resident, said she considered the Miami Open her local tournament. “It’s extremely special,” she said of reaching her first final there. “It was so so many every point JUDD TRUMP’S hot streak at the China Open was ended by Iranian Hossein Vafaei.
The defending champion and world No 2 lost 5-3 in Beijing to the world No 76.
Vafaei, 22, ended Trump’s ninematch winning run and reached his first ranking semi-final.
Diplomatic relations between
VAFAEI Iran and the UK resumed in full only last year and Vafaei, being mentored by Ronnie O’Sullivan, was denied a tour spot for three seasons.
But in only a second full campaign, Vafaei is showing his class. He said: “I’d lost three JUSTIN ROSE says his short game is so good he is quietly confident of seeing the St George flag raised at Augusta for a second year running.
“If I’m to win a Masters it will be from 50 to 60 yards from the green,” said Rose. “I like the thought of becoming the second England player in a row to be fitted with a Green Jacket.” LEON HASLAM dictated terms in opening free practice for tomorrow’s opening round of the MCE Insurance British Championship at Donington Park.
Haslam clocked 1min 29.323secs to hold off the challenge of his JG Speedfit Kawasaki team-mate Luke Mossey.
Australian Josh Brookes, the title winner two years ago, times to Judd and this sends out a message that I can beat anybody on my day.
“My arrival on the tour is being recognised. My run also seals my place in the top 64 and should get me a better draw in the World Championship qualifiers.” He admitted: “Not being able to play in a lot of the events meant I lost my confidence and couldn’t play my game. I’ve now said to myself, ‘this is your time, you have to take your chance now that you’re finally based in the UK’.” put in a late charge to run third fastest on his Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha, just ahead of Peter Hickman on the Smiths BMW.
Five-time champion Shane Byrne slipped to fifth fastest overall, before a clutch problem sidelined his Be Wiser Ducati for much of the second session.