Battling Konta into last four

Surreal feeling for British No 1 as she stands two matches away from Wimbledon glory

Johanna Konta battled back from the brink to win a three-set thriller against Simona Halep and become Britain’s first women’s singles semi-finalist at Wimbledon since 1978.

It is 39 years since Virginia Wade reached the last four at the All England Club and Konta now stands just two wins away from matching Wade’s feat of a year earlier, when she was crowned Wimbledon champion.

Konta trailed by a set on Centre Court and was two points from defeat in the second but she refused to lie down and instead surged back to win 6-7 7-6 6-4.

Johanna Konta battled back from from the brink to win a three-set thriller against Simona Halep yesterday and become Britain’s first women’s singles semi-finalist at Wimbledon since 1978.

It is 39 years since Virginia Wade reached the last four at the All England Club and Konta now stands just two wins away from matching Wade’s more notable feat of a year earlier, when she was crowned the Wimbledon champion.

Konta trailed by a set on Centre Court and was two points from defeat in the second but she refused to lie down and instead surged back to win 6-7 (2/7) 7-6 (7/5) 6-4.

The British No 1 will tomorrow face Venus Williams, who beat French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, for a place in Saturday’s championship match.

It could have been Halep, not Ostapenko, playing here as the queen of Roland Garros were it not for a meltdown in last month’s final, but the 25-year-old could hardly be accused of throwing this one away.

Konta won it, through her brave baseline hitting and relentless never-saydie attitude which have now seen her emerge from three final sets in five matches, each one the victor.

Defeat ended Halep’s hope of taking the world No 1 ranking, which instead will transfer from Angelique Kerber to Karolina Pliskova next week.

“Right now it’s a little bit surreal,” Konta told the BBC.

“I stuck to my true self and tried to create as many opportunities as possible. I knew she was not going to give much away for free so I definitely had to be the one to create my own chances. I did that and feel fortunate to have taken a few of them.”

On facing the 37-year-old Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion, Konta said: “Age is not a factor. She’s a tremendous champion and I feel very humbled to share a court with her again.”

After two hours and 38 minutes, a pulsating match ended on an awkward note as Halep patted a forehand into the net, having been prompted to stop by a scream in the crowd.

But, after two days of the game’s biggest names questioning this tournament’s preference for men’s matches on its show courts, here was otherwise a dazzling advert for women’s tennis, played at a ferocious pace by two players at their technical and physical best.

Meanwhile Wade is delighted her status as the last British woman to reach the Wimbledon singles semi-finals has gone – and has backed Konta to emulate her by progressing to the final.

The 1977 champion said: “I’m just surprised it’s taken so long. It’s fine to be the last British women’s winner to win Wimbledon, but it’s better to have plenty of British players to win.

“It’s a win-win situation frankly and I’m thrilled for her. I know how much pressure there is.”

Konta was two points from defeat in the second-set tie-break in a gripping match but turned things around to win in two hours and 38 minutes.

Wade said: “The longer it went on the more impressed I got. It was absolutely a stunning performance really and the pressure was relentless that Konta kept applying – it was brilliant, she never really wavered one little bit.

“It showed in the end that both players were so good but she had a tougher mind and she was more aggressive and she deserved to win.”

Konta’s attitude was also praised by six-time Wimbledon singles champion Billie Jean King.

King told the BBC: “It’s great for women’s tennis, it’s terrific for tennis and it’s even more special for everybody here in Great Britain. I love the fact she talks about her ambition. Because women are taught not to talk about their ambition.

“We have to be polite, be nice. She says it like it is. She’s so articulate and she never takes anything for granted.

“I think Great Britain should be so proud of her and Jo should be so proud of herself.”

Pictures: PA. Johanna Konta, top, celebrates reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, with virginia Wade, the last British woman to reach the last four of the singles in 1978, watching on from the stands.