A brilliant win by Jo Konta, her first top-tier WTA title and perhaps the most significant title in British women’s tennis since Virginia Wade won Wimbledon in 1977.
The 25-year-old dominated from the baseline, although Caroline Wozniacki was not at her best today and the Dane’s serve let her down on occasion. There were several flurries of breaks by both players but Konta kept her composure in the key moments, saving plenty of break points to stem Wozniacki’s momentum.
“Jo, you played really well today,” the former world No1 Wozniacki said after the match. “You were the better player and you deserved to win. I’m hoping third time lucky [against Konta]. We’ll play another time and I’ll try my best to win. I was hoping it would be third final lucky this year, but I’ll have to go for the fourth.”
Konta was clearly delighted, but as measured as ever. “My whole team is over there, thank you so much,” she said pointing into the crowd. “We’re having a great time working hard and I’m looking forward to continuing to do so.”
That’s all from me, thanks for reading.
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Konta raises the trophy as ticker tape flies around her. She looks chuffed to bits.
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Konta dropped her racket as she realised Wozniacki couldn’t return her lob, before holding her head in her hands and running to her team to celebrate. A massive win by the British No1, the biggest of her career to date without doubt.
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Konta wins the Miami Open final 6-4, 6-3!
Konta 6-4, 6-3 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Wozniacki wins the first point but finds the net with a low forehand from the baseline on the second. 15-15. The next point is one of the most horrid double-faults you’re likely to see (read), the second serve landing on top of the net on the wrong side of the court by some distance. For whatever reason Wozniacki’s serve has been off-key today. At 30-30 Konta pulls out a brilliant backhand down the line and that’s championship point – and Konta wins it, bringing Wozniacki in with a drop shot before putting a perfectly weighted lob on to the baseline!
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Konta* 6-4, 5-3 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
“Come on Jo, wrap this baby up,” emails Marie Meyer. “I cannot bear looking at this purple court much longer.” It is pretty ugly, I’ll give you that Marie. At 30-15 up Konta dumps a routine backhand into the net but regains her composure, capitalising on a well-placed serve out wide on the next point to go 40-30 in front. Then Wozniacki fires long on the run and Konta is a game away!
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Konta 6-4, 4-3 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Konta races to 0-30 and then produces a wonderful backhand return down the middle, which Wozniacki doesn’t have to time adjust her feet for. Three break points. The first is battered long by Konta, the second is mishit into the net but she wins the third with a fortunate net cord, which actually sits up invitingly for Wozniacki, but the Dane is caught off guard and by the time she gets to the ball she can only nudge it into the net. Wozniacki gives the ball a frustrated kick as Konta apologises for her slice of luck. A vital break.
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Konta* 6-4, 3-3 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
After exchanging a couple of errors, Wozniacki whips out a vicious backhand-return down the line to take the game to 40-30, and another nervy double-fault by Konta makes it deuce. Konta steps back behind the baseline and takes a few deep breaths, then steps forward to slam two big first serves down to see out the game and hold.
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Konta 6-4, 2-3 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
At 30-30, Konta stretches for a backhand and chops a devilish slice which the approaching Wozniacki can’t deal with to earn a break point. The British No1 wastes the chance though, getting caught in two minds and letting a volley opportunity slide by. Wozniacki wins two quick points and holds a game that she might easily have lost.
Konta* 6-4, 2-2 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Wozniacki moves a little gingerly initially, looking down to her right foot after losing the first point but seems OK there on. Konta gives away her first double-fault of the match and then a meek backhand into the net takes the game to 40-30, before she closes it out with a fine cross-court forehand winner.
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Wozniacki calls a medical timeout as some heavy ankle/foot strapping is applied. It’s probably a welcome relief for Konta who had seen the momentum swing away from her in the past couple of games.
Konta 6-4, 1-2 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Wozniacki was in menacing mood for much of the first set but she smiles after hunting down a testing drop shot and flicking a clever lob over Konta to win the first point. She races through the next three too, with her serve on song to seal a rare love-hold.
Konta* 6-4, 1-1 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
The seventh break of the match, and Konta will be frustrated as her edginess returns. She fumbles bouncing the ball at one moment and finishes the game with a wild backhand that’s a long way wide. Wozniacki quickly back on terms in the second set.
Konta 6-4, 1-0 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Winning the opening set seems to have relaxed Konta and she comes out firing to take the game to 0-40 and set up three break points. Wozniacki pulls out a lovely lob to save the first and two huge serves to save the other two. On Wozniacki’s advantage they exchange a fierce backhand rally which Konta wins with a beauty that grazes the net cord on its way to the baseline. Another backhand winner from mid-court sets up a break point and this time she takes it with a cool drop volley.
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That was a messy set with plenty of errors amid a sprinkling of impressive points from the Briton in particular. Wozniacki will have to improve if she’s to find a way back into this match.
Konta wins the first set!
Konta* 6-4 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Konta wastes a wonderful opportunity to win the opening point, choosing to volley into the recovering Wozniacki’s path rather than into the space behind her. Another couple of errors by the British No1 hand Wozniacki two break points at 15-40, before Konta pulls out a powerful first serve and then a brave second serve to take the game to deuce. With two more huge first serves Konta wraps up the opening set and she is halfway to winning this Miami Open final.
Konta 5-4 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
This final has not been full of the quality we might have expected so far – both players seem nervy. At 15-15 Wozniacki serves two double-faults in succession to hand Konta a couple of break points, and she takes the first one after pinning the Dane back with a wonderful forehand into the furthest corner of the court and following it up with a backhand winner. Can Konta serve out the opening set?
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Konta* 4-4 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
The frustration born from Konta’s challenge in the previous game has got Wozniacki fired up. She attacks with her groundstrokes, racing into a 0-30 lead before getting the next one badly wrong and sending a ball into orbit. Konta pinches a point with a deft volley at the net and then saves a break point to bring up the first deuce of the match. Wozniacki earns a second break point and this time Konta saves it with a stunning drive-volley from close to her own baseline. Wozniacki wastes her third break point of the game but on the fourth Konta hits a nervy backhand long. The longest game of the opening set so far, and a crucial break-back for Wozniacki.
Konta 4-3 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Wozniacki gets her serve in the groove and rattles off three quick points before Konta gets the better the longest rally of the match so far to pull it back to 40-15. Konta wins the next point via a challenge after her backhand had been called out when it in fact clipped the baseline – Wozniacki wants the point to be replayed but the umpire is having none of it and he’s right – on replay, the call was very late and didn’t affect Wozniacki’s wayward next shot. She storms back to the baseline before slamming down an angry serve to clinch the game.
Konta* 4-2 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Wozniacki offers up another wayward backhand at the start of the sixth game before Konta combines a wide serve with a drive-volley to take a 30-0 lead. Wozniacki fights back, sending Konta to the back of the court with a lob before coming into the net and shutting down the point, and at 30-30 Konta appears under pressure – before pulling out two huge first serves, including one ace, to wrap up the game.
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Konta 3-2 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Konta is jumping on every chance to attack Wozniacki’s vulnerable second serve, and at 15-0 down fires a brilliant backhand-winner return down the line. At 30-30 Wozniacki jabs a routine backhand into the net, and follows it up with a near-identical forehand from the centre of the baseline to restore Konta’s one-break advantage. That was a pretty woeful game by the former world No1.
Konta* 2-2 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Wozniacki calls over her father and coach Piotr for a hurried chat between games, and maybe it did the trick. After losing the first two points of the game Wozniacki starts to find her stride, taking advantage of an ambitious chip and charge by Konta to slam an unreturnable passing shot and make it 30-30. A couple of backhand errors by Konta and Wozniacki breaks back.
Konta 2-1 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
Konta’s flat powerful groundstrokes are proving incredibly difficult to handle, even for someone with the court coverage of Wozniacki. A frustrated backhand swipe by Wozniacki finds the net to bring Konta into the game at 30-30, before the Dane serves her way out of trouble to get herself on the board. Konta remains a break up in the opening set.
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Konta* 2-0 Wozniacki (*denotes server)
At 15-15 Konta makes an uncharacteristic error going slightly too long with a regulation forehand, but she is quick to assert her dominance there on in, wrapping up the game with an ace down the T.
Konta 1-0 *Wozniacki (*denotes server)
What a start by Jo Konta. Wozniacki dumps the opening point into the net and when Konta reacts well to counter against a half-court sitter with a pass down the line, she earns three break points. Konta only needs one, Wozniacki stretching and lumping the ball high and wide of the court.
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The players are out in the sunshine, warm ups done, and this match is about to get under way. Wozniacki to serve first.
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It’s 30 degrees in Miami, baby.
Martina Navratilova is on punditry duty and she is talking up Jo Konta’s chances – though she adds that Caroline Wozniacki is almost back to her best so it’s mixed messages from Martina. She’s expecting plenty of long points and potentially a long match too. The players are not yet on the court so it might be another 15 minutes or so before we get under way here.
Here’s the tale of the tape, or net cord:
Johanna Konta, UK
Age 25
Height 5ft 11ins
Highest ranking 9
Current ranking 11
WTA titles 2
Best grand slam 2016 Australian Open semi-final
Career prize money $3,723,939
Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark
Age 26
Height 5ft 10ins
Highest ranking 1
Current ranking 14
WTA titles 25
Best grand slam 2009 & 2014 US Open finals
Career prize money $22,668,380
Here’s the take of our tennis correspondent, Kevin Mitchell, ahead of the match:
Martina Navratilova, who is as judicious with her praise as she was with her awesome charge to the net, said before Johanna Konta beat the seven-times slam champion Venus Williams, to reach the final of the Miami Open against Caroline Wozniacki, that the British history-maker was worth her return to the world’s top 10 but had yet to prove she was a top-five player.
It is a fair assessment. Of the game’s consistent pace-setters, Konta and Madison Keys are the newcomers at the summit of the WTA rankings with most to prove; however, Britain’s No1 has had her share of success against most of her peers, and that must be a huge encouragement before Saturday night’s final.
Victory in two tight sets late on Thursday over Williams – her third from four encounters – made Konta the first British finalist in this tournament and ensured she was bumped up one place from No11. If she beats another former world No1 in Wozniacki – most bookmakers have her a slight odds-on favourite – she will move to seventh and will properly have the game’s elite in her sights.
You can read the full piece here:
Preamble
While this tournament might have flown under the radar a little this week, its significance should not be underestimated; Johanna Konta’s Miami Open run is another major step forward for the British No1. Her appearance in the final ensures a return to the world’s top ten and should she win today it would seal her first triumph in one of the four top-tier WTA events – the biggest prizes outside the grand slams.
Konta has some experience here having won a couple of minor WTA tournaments including the Sydney International at the start of the year, which was done in style without dropping a set. The 25-year-old’s reputation has continued to grow since her run to the Australia Open semi-final last year and her name is now tentatively mentioned among grand slam contenders.
Across the net is Caroline Wozniacki, the Dane with 25 WTA titles to her name who memorably spent a year as world No1 without winning a grand slam. The past 12 months have been about recovery for Wozniacki – from injury, loss of form and a sharp drop in the world rankings – but she has re-found her fitness and is closing in on her own return to the world’s top 10. Wozniacki has already reached two finals this year, in Dubai and Qatar – though she lost both in straight sets.
These two played earlier this year in Melbourne when Konta knocked Wozniacki out of the Australian Open in straight sets. A repeat performance today in Miami, on the tiny island of Key Biscane jutting out into the Atlantic, will deliver the most significant title of Konta’s career to date, and send out a big statement with it.
Start set for 6pm BST (1pm Miami time)
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