Deja-vu as Konta eases through against foe Rybarikova in Italy
JOHANNA Konta is safely through to the second round of the Italian Open after beating Magdalena Rybarikova in straight sets.
A week on from knocking Rybarikova out at the same stage of the Madrid Open, Konta claimed a 6-4 6-3 victory over the 17th seed in one hour and 48 minutes.
The unseeded British No.1 will play Hsieh Su-wei or Aryna Sabalenka in the next round.
Konta, who has not reached the quarter-finals of a tournament since early January in Brisbane, displayed impressive resilience in the first set to secure back-to-back breaks after losing her serve in the seventh game of the clash.
The World No.22 fell a break down again in the second set but dug deep to win the big points as she reeled off four straight games for a morale-boosting victory over Rybarikova.
Kyle Edmund continued his fine run of form on clay as he overcame Malek Jaziri to book his place in the second round of the Italian Open in Rome.
The British number one enjoyed a 6-3 3-6 6-3 success. NORTH West neighbours, the Armoy Road Race organisers, kickstarted their 10th anniversary celebrations by welcoming nearly 200 biking legends, enthusiasts and members of the Armoy Club to the Royal Court Hotel in Portrush for a black tie gala dinner.
With a line-up of festivities planned throughout the year, the gala dinner marked the beginning of what is set to be a special period indeed for the entire