VENUS BRINGS KONTA BACK DOWN TO EARTH
GETTY IMAGES JOHANNA KONTA’S spirited run at the Wuhan Open came to an end yesterday but not before she took Venus Williams the distance in a pulsating quarter-final. Williams won the final four games to dig herself out of a hole and prevail 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in a match which took two hours and 40 minutes. Konta, who stunned world No 2 Simona Halep on Wednesday, was serving for the match at 5-3 in the final set but Williams, who struggled on her own serve throughout, was able to channel her frustrations and take the win. ‘I went on court to win and to do my best,’ said Konta, who had won 21 of her last 22 matches going into the contest, including the victory over top-seeded Halep. ‘I gave my all. It just wasn’t enough. I lost to a pretty incredible champion. She played an incredible match. I just feel very fortunate that I got to share the court with her.’ Williams, who is ranked 42 places higher than Konta at No 24, said: ‘Johanna played so well. She’s had a wonderful summer and beat so many players in this tournament. It seemed like I was finished but I felt the energy of the crowd behind me.’ The former top-ranked American will next face US Open finalist Roberta Vinci, who beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6, 6-3. The 15th-seeded Italian saved three of four break points and took advantage of 30 unforced errors by the eighth-seeded Pliskova. Williams, who earned her 700th career victory to reach the quarter-finals, has never dropped a set against the Italian veteran, who ended sister Serena’s chances of a calendar-year Grand Slam in the US Open semi-finals.