Amazing support drove me to glory
JO KONTA revealed her sense of pride yesterday at becoming the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978.
The 26-year- old British No 1 demonstrated her determination to fight back from a set down to secure a 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 triumph over Romanian Simona Halep in two hours and 38 minutes.
She said: ‘To be in the semi-finals of my home Slam, and to do that in front of a full Centre Court, it’s pretty, pretty special.
‘In terms of the home support, I feel very excited and very humbled by it. When you get a massive crowd of people cheering, making that sort of noise in a stadium, you get goosebumps.
‘The level of tennis that both of us played, it was just a tremendous match. Someone like Simona, you have to win it against someone like her. She gives you so little, so few chances.’
Konta is now two wins away from matching Wade’s title triumph of 1977. Wade was watching from the Royal Box on Centre Court as Konta set up a clash with fivetime champion Venus Williams tomorrow for a place in the final.
Konta has won three of her five meetings against world No 11 Williams, though they have never met on grass. On her next oppo- nent, Konta said: ‘What Venus and her sister have given our sport is absolutely tremendous. The way they have elevated women’s tennis is truly inspiring.
‘So I feel very excited and very humbled to be sharing the court with her again.
‘We’ve had a few battles in the past. She got the better of me the last time we played, so I’m really looking forward to playing her.’
There was controversy in the final rally of yesterday’s match as a member of the crowd screamed and hindered Halep, who appeared to stop playing.
‘I was surprised that lady was screaming,’ Halep said. ‘I thought the umpire was going to repeat the point. I think it’s normal to repeat the point when someone is screaming like that. He said we cannot replay. I cannot change anything. So why should I fight?
‘I think in every country, if you are playing with someone from that country, it is the same. The crowd has to be loud for them and we have to take it.’
Halep also complained about the length of Konta’s toilet break after the second set. ‘I don’t believe that was only four minutes,’ she said. ‘But she does that all the time. I cannot change because there is no rule.’
Konta is guaranteed a pay day of £550,000 for reaching the last four, while victory in Saturday’s final would earn her £2.2million — and take her career earnings past £6m.