One victory may not make a summer but, when it is a big one over probably the greatest women’s player of all time, it will surely go a long way. Johanna Konta’s 6-1, 6-0 win over Serena Williams on Tuesday in the first round of the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose was every bit as stunning as the scoreline sounds, the most lop-sided defeat of Williams’s glittering career and by far the best win for Konta in more than a year. If this does not get her going, nothing will.
There is no doubt Williams was below par, as seven double faults and a first-serve percentage of 40% would suggest. Though the 23-times grand slam champion reached the final at Wimbledon last month, this was only her fifth tournament of the year as she continues her path towards full fitness having become a mother.
“I know I can play a zillion times better but I have so many things on my mind I don’t have time to be shocked about a loss that clearly wasn’t when I was at my best,” Williams said. “I can only try to be there and fight, which is what I was doing out there. I moved a lot better, too, so I’ll take the positives where I can.”
For Konta this could prove a turning point in her season. Having spent the latter part of 2017 recovering from a foot injury, the 27-year-old’s progress this year has been slow. Her second-round defeat by Dominika Cibulkova at Wimbledon dropped her ranking to No 48, a far cry from 12 months ago, when she reached a career-high No 4 after making the Wimbledon semi-finals.
Consistency has been an issue for Konta throughout 2018 but at times her game management has also come into question. When she is in form her big-hitting game is a match for anyone – as she proved against Williams, when she won 83 % of points when her first serve found its mark. But when she is struggling her apparent lack of plan B means her lows can be as extreme as her highs. Coming in to San Jose, she had a 17-15 win-loss record for the year and had lost her first match in five of her 15 events.
And yet, like all great sportsmen and women, the world’s top tennis players have an amazing ability to forget bad losses and focus only on the next event. With only one player each week remaining unbeaten, it is a necessity. As Konta likes to say, it is all about the process.
“I don’t believe in big bang moments, or magic moments where the fingers click and it all comes together,” she said. “I believe in continuous hard work and every-day perseverance, putting in the work and trusting the process. All this match has given me is the chance to play another one. I’m grateful for that opportunity and will work hard for another one.”
Likewise Williams will not lose much sleep over the defeat, one-sided as it was with Konta winning 12 straight games after Williams held serve in the opening game. Her sights are set on first equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam singles titles, then passing it. With tournaments to come in Montreal, then Cincinnati, she has time to find her game before the US Open, where she will look to peak.
Konta is at her best on hard courts, where she can trust the bounce and let rip. Throw in some confidence and the results will come.
“I definitely feel as the season’s gone on, I’m playing consistently better and better,” she said. “I made that final in Nottingham [in June], which gave me confidence in playing five matches back to back, which I hadn’t had in a year. Getting more matches in succession will only help me with that match fitness we all look for. I feel like I am in the right direction to do that. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
