KONTA LOOKS TO CLAY OF GLORY
JO KONTA is determined to break her French Open duck on the clay courts of Roland Garros.
The World No.8, tipped as a Grand Slam contender on any other surface, faces World No.109 Hsieh Su-Wei in today’s first round.
While that might appear an easy start, British No.1 Konta is not a natural clay-court player and has never won a main draw match in Paris. She said: “A big part of the challenge is the time I spend on the surface compared to the other ones.
“It’s not just that I haven’t played much on the clay – obviously, I have played in the past – but it’s the level of players that I’m playing on the surface, which I haven’t had experience of.”
Konta’s spectacular rise in recent years means this is only the second time she has earned a place in the draw without going through qualifying. It also means she gets to hang her racquets in the posh locker room in the centre Men Rafa Nadal 10/11 Novak Djokovic 4/1 Andy Murray 12/1 Women Simona Halep 5/1 Elina Svitolinaw 7/1 Jo Konta 25/1 court complex. She said: “I still had to kind of go around the locker room and just remind myself where everything was. I don’t think the novelty has worn off.”
The novelty of playing on clay will not wear off either and this week can only help her, with Wimbledon just over a month away.
Konta said: “Clay gives me different challenges and the work that I’m putting in now will transfer into the grass court season.”