LEGEND EVERT TELLS KONTA TO COOL IT
CHRIS EVERT has told “nervous” Jo Konta to relax on her return to Wimbledon today.
The British No.1 excited the nation last year as she became the first female home player to reach the last four since Virginia Wade in 1978.
But she lost her last four matches last year before shutting down her season and changing coach again – and has been beaten in her opening match in 10 events since last July.
Konta tried to blame the media for her first-round defeat at the French Open and refused to shake the umpire’s hand – and then delayed the presentation ceremony when she lost the recent final in Nottingham.
And ESPN pundit Evert, who won Wimbledon three times, said: “She’s a very nervous type of player. She’s got the shots. She has a good serve, good groundies, a great all-around game. I think she just gets a little fidgety and hyped and nervous at times.
“She has to believe, to relax, play with a new kind of freedom.”
The world No.24 risks slipping out of the top 50 with defeat against world No.106 Natalia Vikhlyantseva of Russia today.