Konta continues to come up short on clay

Johanna Konta is still searching for her first clay court title after a straightsets defeat to Karolina Pliskova in the Italian Open final in Rome.

The British number one admitted she was never given a look-in by her Czech opponent as she fell to a 6-3 6-4 defeat two weeks after finishing runner-up in Morocco.

Konta told wtatour. com: “I just thought she (Pliskova) didn’t really have a let-down in the whole match. She played very consistently.

“I found it quite hard to get a footing in the match, which is credit to her. She plays with big shots, quite flat, and big serves. It can feel sometimes like you are fighting an uphill battle.”

Nevertheless Konta, who turned 28 on Friday, will take plenty of positives from her unexpect

“She was very consistent. I found it hard to get a footing”

edly strong clay court season ahead of this month’s French Open, in which she is yet to win a main draw match.

Konta’s semi-final win over Kiki Bertens marked the Brit’s first victory over a top-five player since beating Simona Halep at Wimbledon in 2017.

But her hopes of a repeat against Pliskova eroded after the Czech broke in the second game of the first set and proceeded to make just five unforced errors to move ahead in the match.

Konta’s response was concerted as the second set went with serve before she established a 4-3 lead.

But despite saving three break points, she was unable to fend off Pliskova a fourth time.

The Czech made it 5-3 after Konta had fought her way back to deuce and although the Briton held in the penultimate game, Pliskova converted her third championship point to take the title.