JO’S SWEET 16
Gutsy Konta keeps her cool to see off Sloane danger
As she stared down the barrel, it was shrug after shrug of exasperation in the direction of her coach.
Never a good sign, Johanna Konta seemed to be losing it on all levels. She was even complaining about mystery noises to the umpire.
Emotions are never far from the Konta surface and, out-manoeuvred, by a slick Sloane Stephens, the suspect temperament seemed to cracking.
She was hanging on in the second set but the American looked in serious control.
An hour later, the shrugs had been succeeded by fistpumps, a frustrated grimace by a smile as wide as the net.
Konta had dug deep and, from 4- 4 in the second set, the Brit won eight of the next nine games to set up a fourthround meeting with twotime champion Petra Kvitova.
Sixth seed Kvitova will be a formidable challenge and has beaten Konta in three of their four career meetings.
The manner of this comeback triumph against the higher-ranked Stephens will give Konta confidence as she attempts to improve on that run to the last four in 2017.
This was not a landmark win in her career but it was certainly significant.
It was her fourth contest against Stephens this year and she had won the previous three – in Brisbane, Rome and in the French Open.
Konta is a streaky player and this encounter looked like streaking away from her.
To find the resources to turn it around felt like a small step forward.
Australian-born Konta, 28, admitted she was almost resigned to defeat when Stephens was on top.
She said: “I was ful ly prepared to not be coming back in that second set because she real ly was playing very well.
“I was really pleased I could keep battling. I just kept plugging away more than anything.
“I was pleased I could mix things up and I did a good job getting her out of that zone she was in.”
There was an e lement of Stephens folding but it was
more a case of Konta finding her range and eliminating the unforced errors that blighted her play in the first two sets. Konta will certainly have to take the form of the second half of this match into the entire battle with Kvitova. She said: “I haven’t played her in a little while. I’ve only beaten her once. I think it was at Eastbourne. “But she’s a two- time Wimbledon champion, her favourite surface and her best surface is grass, and the grass here at Wimbledon. I’m going to be coming up against a very, very inspired and very tough Petra. “She’s also been playing incredibly well in the last couple of years. Since coming back from that terrible thing that happened to her, she’s playing unbelievable tennis. I’m looking forward to playing a great champion.” There was confidence about Konta after coming through the Stephens test and, with so many of the top-20 women falling by the wayside, the winner will fancy their chances of progressing deep into the week. Konta said: “I feel like I’m building with each match that I’m playing. I certainly don’t think anyone can go on court against me feeling sure it’s a done deal.” Kvitova cruised to a last-16 showdown with Konta, barely breaking sweat but she knows she’ll have to battle a partisan crowd as well as her worrying arm injury.
Kvitova said: “Jo, I think for her, the grass is really going in the good way when she’s playing kind of flat shots from the both sides, especial ly from the backhand side.
“I think she likes to play on the grass and, of course, the crowd will be on her side.
“We played I think last year in Birmingham. I know a little bit how she’s playing, what she’s able to do. It will be a difficult match, for sure.” Czech star Kvitova, who won the ladies crown in 2011 and 2014, is treading a tightrope as she struggles with an arm injury that could wreck her dream of a hat-trick of titles at any moment.
The 29-year-old was grateful for a routine 6-3 6-2 victory over Polish No.2 Magda Linette that took just 68 minutes.
She said: “It’s great to play just two sets, for sure, for my arm. It’s the best I can have but you real ly never know what is coming next.
“As I’ve mentioned before, the pain can come in my forearm at any time and I have to retire.
“I’m always worried about the scenarios in the match.”
Kvitova wasn’t even sure she’d be able to compete at SW19 but she hasn’t dropped a set at this year’s championships – and is feeling confident.
She said: “I have a day off now and I’m pretty confident.
“I’m taking it very positively that I finished with a win but I’m not looking too far ahead.”