Konta crushes Mertens to keep title defence on track
Johanna Konta continued her timely return to form with a 75-minute rout of Elise Mertens to reach the fourth round of the Miami Open.
The defending champion, whose triumph last year paved the way for a march into the world top ten, faces a slide down the rankings if she fails to repeat the feat. But Konta has risen impressively to the challenge, building on her first-round win over Kirsten Flipkens with an emphatic 6-2, 6-1 win to see off the 22nd seed.
Konta had been pegged back after an early break against Mertens before reeling off four successive games to take the first set in style. Despite giving up a break herself in the second set, Konta proved clinical in exposing Mertens’ problems on serve to seal the match in convincing fashion.
Konta’s consistency in Miami will come as a confidence boost for the Briton who has broadly struggled since losing her Wimbledon semi-final to Venus Williams last year.
Hampered by a hip injury, she was beaten early in the Australian Open by lucky loser Bernarda Pera, and also crashed out early in Indian Wells last week.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer will not compete in the French Open for the third year running
0 Johanna Konta: Impressive. after announcing he will skip the entire clay-court season.
The 36-year-old made the announcement after he was knocked out of the Miami Open by Thanasi Kokkinakis – an Australian qualifier ranked 175 in the world.
As a result of the 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) defeat Federer will lose his world No 1 ranking. Rafael Nadal will reclaim the top spot when the rankings are published after the tournament.
Federer, who won the French Open in 2009, also pulled out of the tournament in 2016 and again last year citing the need to avoid playing on clay in order to prolong his career.
When asked in his postmatch press conference if he would discuss the clay-court season with his team following the loss, the Swiss said: “I’ve decided not to play.”
Federer gave a curt response when asked to clarify whether he would also miss the French Open, adding: “Yes, that is what I said. Clay is the French [Open] as well.”