KONTA MAKES HISTORY
Johanna Konta becomes the first British woman in more than three decades to reach a Grand Slam semi after she Zhang Shuai of China in the Australina Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Konta overcame a brief bouts of nerves at the end of the first to end the run of Chinese qualifier Zhang 6-4 6-1.
“Every time I got a little ahead, she was constantly there,” Konta would later surmise. “I’m happy with how I was able to fight (for) every single point.”
That fight provided Konta with a pleasing and important momentum. The second set began with an exchange of service breaks but when Konta held in the fourth game, she established an impenetrable lead. She won the last five games to secure victory in an hour and 19 minutes.
Another challenge the Sydney-born Brit had overcome was expectation – whether that be self-imposed or otherwise. Having fallen in qualifying for the past three years, Konta had already staged a stunning turnaround with her quarterfinal success, becoming the first Brit to progress so far at the Australian Open since Jo Durie in 1983.
There was also the Australian connection to manage, reflected by the warm applause as Konta received on the court. While appreciating the support, the 24-year-old was careful to manage the occasion.
“You guys made a lot of noise for us,” she said of the crowds afterwards. “In terms of the occasion of the match, I really didn’t put anything on it.”
Managing the pressure is becoming as much a feature for Konta as her fearless and effective ballstriking. There’ll be no doubt be more of both with the chance to reach a first final at Melbourne when she takes on first-time opponent Angelique Kerber in the semifinal – but it’s the match, not the milestone, that matters first for the determined Brit.
