Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DAY FIVE FROM THE AMBITION ALL ENGLAND CLUB KVITOVA GETTING BACK ON TRACK
Konta marches on with easy victory and insists the best is yet to come as she targets Wimbledon crown
JO KONTA raced into the second week of Wimbledon for the first time yesterday – then promised her best was yet to come.
The new 4-1 favourite is now only four wins away from becoming the first British woman to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since Virginia Wade in 1977. And the world No.7 admitted it would be “amazing” to complete a home win double with Andy Murray.
She certainly wore the burden of expecation lightly on Court 1 as she saw off Greek No.101 Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-1 in only 76 minutes.
But bigger challenges will now follow, starting with world No.22 Caroline Garcia on Monday as she bids to become the first home Brit women to reach quarterfinals since Jo Durie 1984. And Konta said she felt able to raise her game to another level.
“I think I’m playing some good tennis,” she said. “I don’t think I’m playing unbelievable tennis. I think I’m playing, I guess, with the mindset of just trying to get better, like I have done every other match I’ve played in my career, every other tournament I’ve played as well. “I definitely believe in myself, the fact that I can keep improving, I can keep getting better, yes.”
Petra Kvitova started the tournament as favourite and then Karolina Pliskova was handed the poisoned chalice. And the cautious Konta always keeps her hard-hitting for the tennis court.
“I have said that everyone in the draw is in with a chance of taking the title,” she claimed. “I think I’m pretty sure favourites also come and go. They change daily almost. I believe every single woman in the draw is a threat to everybody.
“I’m just here, happy to have actually made it into the second week, happy to come through three battles this week. I am very much taking it one match at a time. But definitely working towards staying involved for a full two weeks.”
Asked about the potential British singles win double – for the first time since 1934 – she said: “I haven’t thought about that. But if it were to happen, that would be amazing.”
But she was less keen to take Andy Murray’s advice to lift the home crowd by showing more passion. Konta let out a loud “C’mon” after sealing the win yesterday and admitted the home backing yesterday was “truly humbling”.
She added: “I definitely appreciate their support. I’m definitely hoping that they’re enjoying the matches that I’m playing, enjoying the tennis in general.
“For me, a lot of my challenges and my competition’s also within myself and within my own focus. Definitely my priority has to be how I approach the match and the mindset I have.
“There’s obviously other things that come along with performing well on any day. But I think if I can be involved in many epic battles, I’m sure the crowd will also enjoy that.”
The U2 fan, who went to see Taylor Swift before facing Maria Sharapova two years ago, will not be in the crowd for the The Joshua Tree 2017 Tour at Twickenham this weekend. “I’m actually seeing them a few weeks later,” she said. “I’ve already planned to see them.”
Instead she will be focussing on France’s Garcia, who beat her in their last meeting in Indian Wells in March and reached the quarters in Paris. PETRA KVITOVA plans to make up for lost time after a knife attack which could have ended her career.
The double Wimbledon champ lost on Wednesday to 95th-ranked American Madison Brengle.
But Kvitova (above) needed surgery on damaged tendons in her left hand after being stabbed by an intruder in her home in the Czech Republic in December.
She said: “I’m home sooner than I wanted to be, but I reached my goal – to play tennis again, to play tennis at Wimbledon and to compete in the sport I love. The last six months were difficult but now I can push restart.”