Konta beats the heat to power to first grass final
JOHANNA Konta has reached her first WTA final on grass after beating Slovakia’s world No 117 Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 7-5 at the Aegon Open Nottingham. The world No 8 maintained her record of having yet to drop a set in the tournament as she closed in on her first WTA title on home soil. She will play 20-year-old Croatian Donna Vekic, who is ranked 70th in the world, in today’s final. Playing in the semi-finals of the competition for the first time, Konta twice broke Rybarikova in the opening set. After swapping breaks in the second, the Slovakian double-faulted in the 11th game to gift Konta the advantage and the Briton served out the match to win in one hour and 41 minutes at the sold-out Nottingham Tennis Centre. “It feels pretty good. I’m really happy to have made it to the end of the week, and I’m looking forward to coming back out here on Centre Court tomorrow,” the British No 1 said. “It’s very humid, the moisture from the grass comes up, so it’s surprisingly hot out here. We just did our best to really deal with the conditions today. “It was difficult, she started very strongly. I had to raise my game and only had one little dip. I am enjoying playing each match, I am getting much surer of my footing on the grass. That is something that happens with every player. It takes time to get used to a surface.’ Asked how she would cope with being the home favourite, Konta said: “I don’t really look at it like that. I play tennis in a very process-oriented way. I look to be the best player I can be and look to do good work with my team and overall enjoy my journey in the sport.”
Vekic was involved in an epic battle with Lucie Safarova before coming out on top 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4).
Konta had to return to the court for the women’s doubles semi-final with her Belgian partner Yanina Wickmayer, but she could not make it two finals, bowing out to Australian duo Monique Adamczak and Storm Sanders after losing a champions tiebreaker, 6-1, 3-6, 10-6.
Konta was not too down-hearted however. She said: “I enjoyed my doubles out there. I know it didn’t go the way we wanted but it was another chance to be on the grass on a really nice day in terms of weather, so I can’t complain too much.”
The Australians will meet Laura Robson and Jocelyn Rae who, in only their second week together as a pairing, advanced to the final with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 win over fellow Briton Heather Watson and American Christina McHale.
Robson had been scheduled to play a qualifying match for the Aegon Classic in Birmingham against Japan’s Miyu Kato, but it was cancelled.
The draw was made for that event yesterday and world No 1 and former champion Angelique Kerber faces a tough first round after being pitted against former French Open runner-up Safarova.
Kerber is not the only player with a difficult opening match. Seventh seed and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, playing only her second tournament since returning to competition after being the victim of a knife attack, has a tricky opener against Australian Daria Gavrilova.
British No 2 Watson plays Elina Svitolina and fellow Briton Noami Broady will be up against talented Frenchwoman Alize Cornet. Konta, who is seeded four, is set to take on Lesia Tsurenko.
Meanwhile, Kerber has accepted a wild card into the main draw at the Aegon International Eastbourne, with Gael Monfils accepting a late entry into the men’s event.