Konta keeps cool after heat scare

THEY make them tough in Eastbourne – and none tougher than Johanna Konta.

Britain’s No 1 collapsed midmatch against Tsvetana Pironkova, felled by heat stroke, and yet still came back to win 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 and reach the third round.

The first set had sped by – Konta was doing what she does best and Pironkova had no answer. But as the second set wore on, Konta was dragged into more punishing rallies and seemed to run out of steam.

The air temperature was only around the 30 degree mark but the humidity was stifling, without a breath of wind. Suddenly Konta went bright red in the face and started moving at a snail’s pace between points, gulping down air.

Given that she prides herself on her fitness, this was a concern. But then, going to serve at set point down, she dropped to her knees on the baseline, gasping for air and unable to speak.

For a couple of seconds it seemed Konta was suffering from cramp and the rules state a player cannot receive treatment for that.

But it did not take the umpire long to realise this was serious, and she ran across to offer what help she could. Konta clearly knew what was happening to her and took charge of the situation. She just about managed to get the words out to ask for some ice packs and covered herself with the bags as she waited for the trainer and the doctor to arrive.

Sitting on the ground, she was trying to control her breathing but after a couple of minutes she rolled on to her back and was flat out as the medical team arrived.

They took her temperature and blood pressure, and after treatment they slowly got Konta to her feet and walked her back to her chair.

At that point, she was allowed an official three-minute medical time-out, during which the trainer iced her down as Konta gulped down fluids. “My breathing is better; my heart rate is better,” Konta told the trainer. “I just feel a bit numb.”

Remarkably, after those three minutes, Konta was ready to play. She lost the set point and immediately left the court to change her sodden clothes. When she returned, she broke Pironkova’s serve and was back in business.

Pironkova, meanwhile, had looked concerned throughout and could barely get the ball over the net in that first game of the third set. Playing the No 13 seed was hard enough; taking on Lazarus was a step too far.