Konta says experience is the key as she breezes through to next round
how you’re going to play next week or the week after. You may have a lot of matches under your belt but others who also have a lot and are playing well.”
Her brilliant run to the semifinals at the Australian Open made the rest of the women’s game take notice and with every tournament she plays, her belief seems to rise. “I don’t think it’s so much confidence as experience,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of matches and scenarios and hopefully my experience will continue to grow as I get older. Confidence, I think that’s a very personal thing. If you take your confidence from external matters it’s a fickle thing. I try hard not to get my belief from my results.”
Seeded 13th, there is a little pressure, at least from the outside, on her shoulders but Konta showed no sign of tightness in her opening 6-3, 6-3 win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands, an Olympic gold medallist in mixed doubles in Rio.
The result of that match was never in doubt as she dominated from the baseline and with her serve and Konta will go into her second-round match with Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova todayasthestrongfavourite.
“She’s a great player, been highly ranked,” Konta said of the former Wimbledon semi-finalist who reached the last eight at this year’s French Open.
Listen to Konta speak and the work she continues to put in with her mental coach is immediately clear to see – and hear. The 25-year-old, who lives in Eastbourne on England’s south coast, loves to talk of the process, the journey and tries her best not to allow herself to think beyond the moment.
“Pressure is in every single match, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing someone who’s ranked above or below you,” Konta said. “It’s very important for me to disassociate myself from that and really focus on my game and on what I want to do against the other player.”