Flying Konta is two wins from history

JO KONTA is just two wins away from becoming the first British woman to win a WTA title on home turf since Virginia Wade in 1975. It was 42 years ago when Wade won in Eastbourne, before becoming Wimbledon champion in 1977, and Konta is closing in on the silverware after a fine start to the grass-court season. The British No 1 beat Australia’s Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 7-5 in Nottingham yesterday to seal a spot in the semi-finals of the Aegon Open for the first time. World No 8 Konta, the top seed, will face Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia in the last four today. Elsewhere, British No 4 Aljaz Bedene’s run at the Ricoh Open in Holland has ended in the quarter-finals. He was a break up against Gilles Muller in the deciding set but lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Meanwhile, Dan Evans has confirmed he will not be at Queen’s Club next week for the Aegon Championships. The British No 3 is still nursing a calf injury and may not be fit for Wimbledon.