KONTA ON A HIGH
In-form Jo ready for a shot at the big one
FIRST stop for Jo Konta upon arriving in Melbourne was her favourite restaurant en route to the semi-finals last year, a fish place called Hunky Dory.
It is appropriately named for the state she is in, riding an upward trajectory which sees her being mentioned as a genuine contender for a Grand Slam title.
Having won the Sydney International on Friday, her status is far removed from the anonymity of a year ago.
Then she had lost in the first round of her two opening tournaments, with doubts over whether she could back up the breakthrough results she achieved in the latter half of 2015.
This time, ahead of her opening match against Belgium’s world No 73 Kirsten Flipkens, she was whisked into the main interview auditorium at Melbourne Park. There she was asked about how it felt to be talked about as a potential threat to the likes of Serena Williams.
‘I think that’s other people’s opinion and actually that’s quite flattering if people talk like that or think that,’ she said.
‘But there’s a whole lot of work to be done between being a contender and the person who will win it in the end. There are a lot of matches to be played, a lot of different things will happen.’
Konta will play on the second day, with Andy Murray due to play overnight against Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko. Dan Evans, beaten finalist in Sydney, was scheduled to be another early starter.
While not garnering as much attention as Murray here, the rise of Konta to world No 9 has still attracted interest well beyond the British following.
All the more so after the way she hammered Agnieszka Radwanska and Eugenie Bouchard in Sydney, with tennis of a sometimes breathtaking quality.
‘ I believe I have matured. I believe I’ve got better at reinvesting the experiences and the lessons that I’ve learned throughout the years and actually putting them into the situations that I face on the match court,’ she said, reverting to her managementspeak tendency.
‘I think that has made me a better competitor. Things like that also take time. Like a good wine.’
Konta has settled on a method that involves opening up the court and driving the ball past opponents. It takes precision and power, and she is now good enough and calm enough to execute it.
She also has a better temperament to cope with the emotional demands of the game, although the expectation here could stretch her, as will a fiendish-looking draw. However, there were pressures last week in Sydney, where she spent the first half of her life, and where her sister Eva still lives.
‘My biggest highlight of the week was meeting my nephew, he’s only eight weeks old. I think that’s what was most exciting for me, spending time with my sister. I don’t get to see her often,’ said Konta. ‘To have them being able to watch me win a title, I think that was pretty spectacular.’
Stockport’s Naomi Broady, who will be playing her first Australian Open when she tackles Russiaborn Aussie Daria Gavrilova, believes Konta has not yet had the recognition she deserves in the UK.
‘ Unless you win Wimbledon you never seem to get recognised in England enough,’ she said. ‘I think internationally Jo is more respected than she is at home, which is a shame.’
One way of boosting the sport’s profile among women would be success in the Fed Cup but the British No 3 Broady is still refusing any overtures to play. This is down to a falling- out with the Lawn Tennis Association dating back to her teenage years, when she had her funding cut for posting some relatively harmless pictures on social media.
The recent installation of Anne Keothavong at the helm has not changed her position. Broady said: ‘It’s not personal with Anne. With everything that’s gone on in the past, it’s a matter of principle.’
Heather Watson will face Australia’s Sam Stosur on day two meaning all three British women will play the daytime session on the Margaret Court Arena one after another in temperatures predicted to be in the thirties.
Kyle Edmund has a decent chance of progress when he plays world No 91 Santiago Giraldo of Colombia.