Konta pulls through to set up Serbia play-off

IT WAS not quite like 3.15am at the Australian Open, but there was more late-night drama for Jo Konta as she heaved Great Britain over the line to put them in today’s Fed Cup play-off match. And unlike in Melbourne, the British No1 survived this one intact, as she saw off the unexpectedly formidable challenge of Hungary’s Anna Bondar to set up a final contest of the week against Serbia this afternoon. As Katie Boulter had done earlier, Konta held her nerve to win a sudden-death tiebreak 7-4. She defeated the world No 224 6-2, 6-7, 7-6 and must come back today and do it all again. Bondar had, though, played to an astoundingly high level for someone who has never even been in a Grand Slam qualifying event. ‘She played lights out for a big part of that match and it was hard to be on the receiving end of it,’ said Konta. ‘She didn’t drop her level like I expected.’ Victory for Anne Keothavong’s team would be a fitting way to round off a successfully-staged event at Bath University sports centre, and it would give GB another shot, in April, at gaining promotion to the elite World Group level of this competition. To do that, they may well have to win both singles today, given the absence through injury this week of GB’s highest ranked doubles player Heather Watson and the self-imposed unavailability of the No 2, Naomi Broady. Boulter had once again shown impressive resolve in defeating former Wimbledon junior singles and doubles champion Dalma Galfi 6-4, 6-7, 7-6.