The final analysis
“I definitely played at a very high level today,” Konta says in the aftermath, before paying tribute to her well-beaten opponent Caroline Wozniacki. “She really doesn’t give it to you... I knew it was going to be an incredibly tough one.”
Again...groan...she’s asked whether she considers herself a bit Aussie. “That’s an awkward one,” Konta replies. Cringeworthy stuff from the local interviewer.
Anyway, the Brit wrapped it up in 75 minutes of almost faultless tennis today. She hit 31 winners to six, won 61 points to 40, and took four of the seven break points she was offered. Wozniacki couldn’t muster a one.
That’s it from me, but thanks for joining us today and make sure you stop by again in a few hours for the night session. Johanna Konta is through to the fourth round of the Australian Open and playing like a dream.
Updated
Konta is through to the fourth round!
Johanna Konta defeats Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-1 to progress to the fourth round
Johanna Konta takes it in an hour and 15 minutes, holding a nervy service game to finish it. Otherwise it’s been a commanding performance from the ninth seed, who treated the former world No1 like a hitting partner here in a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Wozniacki leaves today with a $130,000 cheque, Konta progresses to a round four engagement with Ekaterina Makarova. Based on the way she played today there will be a few worried contenders at the pointy end of the draw. You heard it here: she’s just announced herself as a genuine contender for this title.
2nd set: Johanna Konta* 5-1 Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Again Konta produces a majestic winner from a return, falling to her right and rifling a forehand winner down the line. That’s followed by a lovely topspin forehand winner across court to make it 0-30 but Wozniacki admirably pulls herself back into it and avoids the bagel. Good on her. Konta will now serve for the match.
2nd set: Johanna Konta 5-0 *Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Woznicki is down but nor entirely out, and finally produces her fourth winner of the match off Konta’s first service point, but the Brit than pushes her around in a rally and dispatches another backhand winner, then an ace. She leads that category 4-0 with that one, and follows it with another first serve Wozniacki struggles to lay racquet on.
At that point reader Adam Hirst arrives. “Konta hasn’t put a single toe wrong tonight, never mind a whole foot,” he says. “Every point, every game, the way she casually walks off after breaking serve like it was no big deal. Wozniacki never had a chance.” And right as I consider that, Konta fires a big ace down the middle to reassert her dominance, then unloads a big forehand winner to hold. She’s been nothing short of dominant today.
Konta breaks again!
2nd set: Johanna Konta* 4-0 Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Oof, another savage return here from Konta against Wozniacki’s tame second serve. I’m actually feeling a bit sorry for the Dane here, and right as I say that another Konta winner off the second serve goes whistling past her. It’s falling away very quickly for the former world No1. She produces a winner to make it 15-30, but goes long with a backhand to offer up two more break points. Konta gets a little overzealous on a return first up, but makes no mistake with another scything return on the second. She’s got one foot in the fourth round now. Meanwhile: Alexander Zverev has just taken the first set off Rafael Nadal – 6-4!
2nd set: Johanna Konta 3-0 Caroline Wozniacki* (*denotes next server)
Bang! Konta slaps another incredible winner here – this time a cross-court forehand to leave Wozniacki grasping at thin air, and it’s 40-0 in the blink of an eye. Wozniacki wins one point but that is a minor distraction from the Brit’s total dominance. She’s been ruthless today.
Konta breaks early in the second set!
2nd set: Johanna Konta* 2-0 Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Wozniacki really needs to make a bit of a statement here on serve but again her body language isn’t exactly imposing, which follows on from her serve deserting her. She coughs up two break points and double faults to concede. She’s absolutely battling at Margaret Court Arena.
2nd set: Johanna Konta 1-0 Caroline Wozniacki* (*denotes next server)
Konta’s dominance is both statistical and psychological now. She’s hitting it hard and better far more often than her opponent, and Wozniacki is just hanging in and nothing much more. Konta holds easily to get the second set under way.
The stat that mattered from the first set: 20 winners to 1 in Konta’s favour basically says it all. She’s only winning 62% of her points on first serve but she’s absolutely bossing it in all other respects.
Konta takes the firsts set!
1st set: Johanna Konta* 6-3 Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Wozniacki is absolutely battling on her second serve here, and Konta peels off a borderline demoralising cross-court winner of it to make it 15-30, then sets up break and set point with another expertly crafted rally. She takes it! The first set is gone in 42 minutes and Johanna Konta is looking good at Melbourne Park.
1st set: Johanna Konta 5-3 *Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Konta’s really taking charge now, and bosses the Dane around the court again to set up a big smash to make it 30-0. The Brit is serving very well bar an aberrant double fault, the only point Wozniacki wins as Konta holds.
Konta breaks Wozniacki's serve!
1st set: Johanna Konta* 4-3 Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Following the recent trend, Konta starts this Wozniacki service game by caning an emphatic backhand winner across court. At 0-30 she has the Dane on the rack but loops a top-spin backhand wide after a decent rally, doing the same again to bring her opponent back on level terms. There follows a sublime forehand winner from the Brit, who cracks it across court with such precision that Wozniacki is no chance of retrieving it.
So it’s break point, but Konta nets it. She’s got nine winners so far and Wozniacki just the one. Something has to give. A tenth winner brings up another break point, and this time she claims it, advancing to the net and swiping a forehand winner after playing the angles beautifully. She’s really in command now and has the vital buffer.
1st set: Johanna Konta 3-3 *Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
The start of this Konta service game is held up as a gaggle of Aussie supporters return to their seats a little late with a round of beers. Konta just takes the biscuits, smacking a couple of aces down the middle on her way to a reasonably easy hold.
1st set: Johanna Konta* 2-3 Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Thump! Konta leans into another thunderous backhand winner – her fifth of the encounter so far to Woznaicki’s zero – in the Dane’s first service point, and makes it 15-30 with a forehand winner after running Wozniacki ragged. Wozniacki won’t buckle though, and regains her composure well to hold comfortably. This seems destined for a tiebreak.
1st set: Johanna Konta 2-2 *Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Konta returns with her precise, slightly obsessive-compulsive service routine but she’s in a slight spot of bother at 15-30 and an awkward spot in a rally, but Wozniacki goes wide with a forehand. A long rally thereafter is dominated by Konta, who works her opponent wide at every opportunity to set up a pot-away volley. It goes to deuce but with another brutal backhand her opponent can barely lay racquet on, Konta holds.
1st set: Johanna Konta* 1-2 Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Konta continues to attack at every opportunity, missing the mark slightly with a pair of thumping attempted winners; the first is cross-court and long, the second an attempt at passing Wozniacki down the line but it’s into the net. The Dane cannot reach an almighty winner ay 40-0 but holds, though not quite as emphatically as only dropping one point would suggest.
1st set: Johanna Konta 1-1 *Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Thwack! Konta rocks into her first service game and quickly batters another pair of huge backhand winners to make it 30-0 in no time. The angle and speed she imparted on the second was superb. Wozniacki, on the other hand, is a little anaemic on her return and it’s over very quickly in a love game.
1st set: Johanna Konta* 0-1 Caroline Wozniacki (*denotes next server)
Wozniacki does the honours first and she’s in trouble early as Konta finds her range, then at 30-30 blisters an eye-catching backhand winner down the line to set up an early break point. The Dane saves it with a strong first serve, then another, but she’s having to defend a lot too. Konta has been the aggressor early. It’s a real battle, but Wozniacki eventually holds.
Your head-to-head stats: well, there aren’t any. These two have somehow never met, so this one is pure novelty. Let’s do this.
Preamble
Hello all and welcome to this enticing round three Australian Open clash between Great Britain’s Johanna Konta and Dane Caroline Wozniacki. Konta enters this one as the ninth seed and slight favourite. Locals reckon they have equal claim on her (at least while she’s doing well) because she was born in Sydney. She’s also a little bit sick of talking about that, it’s safe to say.
Anyway, both players are now out on Margaret Court Arena going through their warm-ups and chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore is getting in position too.
Russell will be here shortly. In the meantime, check out Kevin Mitchell’s latest on Dan Evans’ unlikely insurrection as he eyes a semi-final clash with Andy Murray.
