Venus stands in way of Konta’s history bid

If she wins, US star will be oldest Wimbledon finalist since 1994

Johanna Konta has history in her sights as the world number seven bids to become the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon final for 40 years when she faces her childhood idol Venus Williams today.

Konta displayed nerves of steel in her pulsating 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 quarter-final victory over world number two Simona Halep on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old is the first British woman to make the Wimbledon semi-finals since Virginia Wade in 1978 and a victory over five-time champion Williams would make her the first Briton into the women’s final at the All England Club since Wade won the title in 1977.

Home girl

Born in Australia to Hungarian parents, Konta didn’t move to the UK until she was 14, but regardless of her heritage she has been adopted as one of their own by the Wimbledon fans.

Now a resident of the sleepy seaside town of Eastbourne, the historic significance of her Wimbledon run, and the crowd’s reaction to it, has been an eye-opener for Konta, who until this fortnight could have walked unrecognised down any street in the country.

“I’ve dreamt of success in every slam but I think it makes it more special because it is home,” said Konta, who was ranked outside the top 150 only two years ago.

“I do get that home support, which I don’t get anywhere else. In that sense, I guess it makes it that much sweeter. In terms of the home support, 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 goose bumps.”

Having fallen in love with tennis when she was a young girl watching Venus and sister Serena dominate Wimbledon, it is fitting that Konta will have to vanquish her to reach the final.

“I think what Venus and her sister have given our sport is absolutely tremendous,” Konta said. “The way they’ve elevated women’s tennis is truly inspiring. So I feel very excited and very humbled to be sharing the court with her again.”

At an age when all of her contemporaries have long since retired, Venus is still going strong and, in her 20th Wimbledon, she is on the verge of a historic achievement the equal of Konta’s potential milestone.

If the 37-year-old wins today, she will become the oldest Wimbledon finalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994, while lifting the aptly named Venus Rosewater Dish would make her the oldest All England Club champion in the Open era.