Konta blasts ‘joke’ umpire as she slips to defeat
A FURIOUS Jo Konta declined to shake the hand of the umpire and branded the officiating an ‘absolute joke’ as the British No 1 was beaten in her Nottingham final yesterday. Konta, normally so cool and composed, lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to Australian top seed Ashleigh Barty but was upset when a shot that looked long was not called out or overruled. It came at a critical moment in the third set and Konta approached Brazilian umpire Paula Vieira Souza, telling her: ‘It’s an absolute joke. You’re making decisions that affect our lives. Do you fully understand that?’ From then on, Konta won only a single point and at the end she walked off court before belatedly returning to collect her runners-up trophy. Despite the drama, she can still take positives from her week in Nottingham. ‘At 4-4 in the third set, that’s quite an important time of any match,’ Konta said. ‘It’s a difficult position to be in. I did the best I could.’ Earlier in the day, Dan Evans was beaten 7-6, 7-5 by Australian youngster Alex de Minaur, though he has left Wimbledon chiefs facing a difficult decision. The former British No 2, now back following a year-long ban for taking cocaine, has given a good account of himself in Nottingham. Tomorrow, a meeting is scheduled to decide the Wimbledon wildcards, and Evans will discover whether the All England Club have seen beyond his controversies. He is not holding his breath, however. ‘No, probably not,’ said Evans when asked. Even though he has had the best results so far of any British player on grass? ‘I’ve had the worst past of a British player too,’ Evans added. ‘Wimbledon is a completely different thing. It’s not the LTA, it’s the All England Club. They’ve got their criteria. If I don’t fit it, I don’t fit it.’ Meanwhile, Britain’s Heather Watson lost in the doubles final alongside Romanian partner Mihaela Buzarnescu. They were beaten 6-3, 7-6 by Alicja Rosolska and Abigail Spears. Roger Federer won his 98th career title yesterday as he beat Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 in the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.