Superb Venus brings Konta down to earth
JOHANNA Konta’s Wimbledon dream went up in smoke as she was beaten in the semi-finals by an inspired Venus Williams.
Konta was hoping to become Britain’s first female singles champion in 40 years at SW19, but Williams proved a class above and sealed a 6-4 6-2 victory.
The British number one had two break points at the end of the opening set, but failed to capitalise and instead it was Williams who broke the very next game. The American never looked back.
Williams went through to her ninth singles final at Wimbledon where she will face Spain’s Garbine Murguruza tomorrow for the chance to win her eighth grand slam title.
Murguruza earlier demolished Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova in just an hour and five minutes.
At 37, Williams would be the oldest woman to win a major tournament in the Open era.
Konta looked primed to etch her own name into the history books as the first British woman to reach the final here since Virginia Wade beat Betty Stove to become champion in 1977.
But Konta, playing only her second grand slam semi-final, simply failed to deliver in the crucial moments on Centre Court, where Williams’ experience proved decisive.
After, Williams said: “I’ve played a lot of finals here at Wimbledon. One more win would amazing. It won’t be a given but I’m going to give it my all.”
There was praise for Konta from her 37-year-old conqueror.
“I thought the crowd was very nice to me actually. They could have been more boisterous but I thought the crowd was so fair. I know they love Jo,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of pressure and I thought she handled it well. I think my experience just helped a lot.
“She played so well. No point was easy.
“I just tried to climb on top each time to get another point, and then it was done so I was just so happy.”
Konta said of the support she had received throughout the tournament: “It’s just incredibly humbling. It’s something that is greater than me.
“I think today it came down on the day, and Venus played better than me. That’s really all I can say.
“I think I definitely have a lot more to improve on.
“There’s a lot of exciting things that I can still get better at, which is exciting for me and exciting for my team, and my own development.
“But I definitely feel like there’s no reason why I would not be able to be in a position to win a title like this one day.”
She added: “I fell at this hurdle, unfortunately. Hopefully next time I will be able to go a step further.” WALES will witness its greatest gathering of Major champions in golfing history later this month with the final field for the star-studded Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Royal Porthcawl being announced.
The tournament will certainly live up to its billing as a truly global assembly of the game’s golden greats despite the withdrawal of former Masters and double US PGA Championship winner Vijay Singh this week.
Though the Fijian will be absent on the South Wales coast from July 27-30, a total of 33 Major champions all celebrated winners across both the main and Senior Tours, will arrive in Wales having amassed a remarkable haul of 67 Majors between them.
The world-class quality of the 144-strong field is unmistakable as Wales gears up for the third instalment of the country’s Year of Sporting Legends following the hugelysuccessful Champions League final and cricket’s ICC Trophy in Cardiff last month.
The exempt field is packed with global champions and Ryder Cup players and captains who are set to light up the famous Bridgend links as the culmination of those three incredible sporting events held in Wales during the summer of 2017.
It will be the second time that the Senior Open Championship has visited the classic links of Royal Porthcawl, and the 2014 champion, Bernhard Langer, is one of 15 winners of regular Majors taking part with no fewer than 33 wins between them.
The field also contains 17 players who have won 37 Senior Major titles since reaching the age of 50, with an illustrious group of just four players – Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman and Tom Watson – having claimed Majors at both levels.
Additionally, the field is augmented by the appearance in Wales by 10 past Ryder Cup captains from both sides of the golfing divide – namely Sir Nick Faldo, Langer, Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie, José Maria Olazabal, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam for Europe and Lehman, Corey Pavin and Watson from the United States. Pavin, of course, was captain in Wales in 2010.
Every Senior Open throws up an interesting list of rookies who have reached the requisite age to compete, and 2017’s roster promises to deliver a high-quality crop in Major champion Olazabal along with McGinley and Wales’ 2002 Ryder Cup hero, Phillip Price.
Defending champion Paul Broadhurst of England is one of five winners of the Senior Claret Jug challenging for the title, including Langer, who captured his second crown at Royal Porthcawl three years ago by a record-breaking 13 stroke margin.
The Senior Open has also attracted a substantial number of golfers who will tee up in the hope of being among the minimum of 24 qualifiers for the main event at four outstanding venues closer to Royal Porthcawl on Monday, July 24.
The 18-hole qualifying competition, played over Ashburnham, Machynys, Pyle & Kenfig and Southerndown, has attracted just over 400 golfers – including 80 amateurs – to make the trip to south Wales, all with the express aim of joining the superstars in battle later that week.
The appeal of the venue has resulted in a total of 45 countries ranging from Algeria, Chile, Hong Kong, Nepal, Paraguay and Poland being represented in the qualifying scramble.
A variety of ticket options are available now along with hospitality packages. For information, visit www.senioropenchampionship. com or call 0800 023 2557.