Icon Wade tips home win over Williams
No sooner had Johanna Konta become the first British woman in 39 years to reach the Wimbledon semi-final yesterday, than she was being tipped to go one better and reach the final by Virginia Wade – the last home favourite to reach the ladies’ singles last four.
Wade, who won the title in 1977 and reached the semi-final the following year, last night backed
Konta to follow up her quarter-final victory over Simona Halep with a win against five-time champion Venus Williams tomorrow.
“I think Jo should win that match,” Wade said. “I don’t think Venus will choke, so Konta will have to win the match, but I think it’s absolutely on the cards.”
Konta holds a 3-2 advantage in career meetings between the two players, but they have won one each this year, and the sixth seed is expecting another close affair.
“We’ve had a few battles,” said
Konta. “She’s got the better of me the last time we played, so I’m really looking forward to playing her.
“I think what Venus and her sister [Serena] have given our sport is absolutely tremendous. The way they’ve elevated women’s tennis is truly inspiring. I feel very excited and very humbled to be sharing the court with her again.”
Williams said of tomorrow’s semifinal: “I think we play a very similar style: aggressive, serve well, return well, very solid off the ground. So, really, it’s just about playing that
game better and see where you find openings. She’s probably dealing with a different kind of pressure playing here at home. But she seems to be handling it well.”
Konta certainly handled the pressure against Halep and kept her cool during the final point of the match when a spectator erroneously screamed that a ball was out mid-point.
“I heard a scream,” Konta said. “I think it was off my side of the court. But I was just playing the next ball. I think we experienced it a couple
of times in the match.” Konta also explained that she felt buoyed by the home support, and said: “I feel very excited and very humbled by it. When you get a massive crowd of people cheering, making that sort of noise in a stadium, you do get goosebumps.
“It makes it more special because it is home. I get that support, which I don’t get anywhere else. In that sense, it makes it sweeter.”
The 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli meanwhile praised Konta for her mental fortitude. “She has been able to stay inside her bubble,” Bartoli said last night. “She just plays so much within herself. The crowd are enthusiastic but she doesn’t want to have even more pressure from them.”
The vanquished Halep was gracious in defeat and said: “I think she [Konta] can win [the semifinal]. She’s a very strong player. She’s playing well.
“She has the crowd, as well. I think she’s able to win on Thursday, and the final.”