‘Konta will win it one day’
SERENA WILLIAMS has tipped Johanna Konta as a potential Australian Open champion. Just not this year.
The world No2 has her eyes on this title and will not let anyone get in her way.
Williams was just too strong, too good and too experienced for Konta in their quarter-final and, despite trying to win without the aid of a first serve, she took only 75 minutes to beat Britain’s No1 6-2, 6-3.
“She tends to do really well in Australia,” said Williams. “With her game, I definitely see her as a future champion.” Beforehand Konta had been looking forward to taking on the 22-time Grand Slam champion for the first time. And even after her loss, she was still enthusing about the encounter. Losing was not nice but playing Serena had been brilliant.
“It was probably one of the best experiences of my life,” she said. “There’s so many things I can learn from that, so many things I can look to improve on, also to acknowledge some things I did well. “Credit to her, she played an almost perfect first set. She showed – and shows – why she is who she is.” Her new coach, Wim Fissette, was not surprised by the result and not concerned by the defeat.
“I told Johanna after the match, the best Serena will win every match, we have to realise that,” he said.
“But on the other hand it’s a great lesson and it’s great to play a match against Serena at this stage. She can learn a lot from this match, and also a lot of things she can do better.
“The next match she will play against Serena will be a different one.”