PUMP UP THE VOLUME
WIMBLEDON 2017 Jo can raise roof and trophy
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JOHANNA KONTA is being urged to pump up the volume as she steps up her bid for Wimbledon glory.
Konta can become the first British woman since Jo Durie in 1984 to reach the quarterfinals if she beats Caroline Garcia on Court One today.
But don’t expect any wild celebrations from the 26-year-old. After all, this is someone who describes herself as “a processdriven athlete”.
It has taken the nation time to embrace a player who has a genuine chance of matching Virginia Wade’s triumph 40 years ago by lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish on Saturday.
But there are signs tennis fans are warming to her following that epic win over Donna Vekic in the second round.
There was a rare outbreak of emotion last Wednesday when she emerged victorious after more than three hours of toil. And her coach wants to see more of that. Indeed, Wim Fissette wouldn’t mind Konta throwing the odd tantrum.
“We all know that Johanna is very focused on her mental state and she’s trying to stay in a neutral one, where she is very comfortable at the moment,” said Fissette.
“Everyone thinks differently. You will never see her very negative or very positive on court. It will be more like neutral. That’s her.
“We have spoken about it. In Miami (where Konta beat Caroline Wozniacki in the final) I asked her, ‘You always stay quite neutral even when things are not going really well. Maybe it’s better to break a racquet once in a while and get the frustrations out and then you can continue. You don’t have to do it all the time but maybe once’.
“She said, ‘I have in the past and my experience is that it does not help me’.
“But using more positive body language is, for sure, something that has helped her, like screaming after a really good point or showing her fists.
Appreciate
“She knows that helps her. She has to stay open for that.”
Fellow Brit Andy Murray freely admits he feeds off the partisan crowd at the All England Club.
Konta’s coach believes the No.6 seed should take a leaf out of the Scot’s book, adding: “She can still use the support of the fans more but, for her, it’s difficult. It’s still new. She has to learn how to appreciate it more and use it more as a positive energy.
“I’m 100 per cent sure that using the fans in the right way can help you in difficult moments.”
Konta is fancied to go all the way, despite having notched up just one win in five previous visits to Wimbledon.
Her improved form this year reflects her remarkable climb up the rankings, which now sees her go into every tournament as a potential winner.
It’s the same this fortnight, not that Konta will admit it.
“Jo will not express that she believes she can win Wimbledon but, for sure, she is confident in her game and in herself,” added Fissette. “So, yeah, she believes she can win it.”