Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
JO READY TO SWEAT IT OUT
JO KONTA wants the heat to be on Down Under when she takes on former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza tomorrow.
The British No.1 beat the Spaniard in a marathon US Open contest in sweltering New York in 2015.
And with temperatures set to soar to the mid-30s, Sydney-born Konta is ready to go the distance once more.
“I remember our last match was very hot and very long,” said the 2016 semi-finalist here.
“I am not sure I handle it better in terms of physically feeling better because I still feel crap out there a lot of the time but I think I have relaxed into it and thought: ‘It is not going to get any better and you might as well crack on’.
“I grew up in this heat for the first 14 years of my life. I think I have had enough exposure to it at a young age so I think I save my energy in trying to survive instead of complain about the thing that I can’t control. She’s got two Grand Slam titles to her name. So that will be a big challenge to me.” Muguruza, who has slid down to No.18, recalled: “I remember that match. It was a tough match. I think it’s going to be a great match in the second round.” In her opening match, Konta saw off Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic in a third-set tiebreak.
But Konta avoided celebrating like Katie Boulter (left) in the event’s first 10-point tiebreak before the world No.97 prevailed over Russian Ekaterina Makarova on Monday.
Konta said: “I saw Katie yesterday and thought: ‘That would be me. Just if you get to seven, you haven’t won, just keep going’. I was like: it is to 10, to 10, to 10’.”