Konta will play Kvitova in the final 16 for a place in the US Open quarter-finals. Who’d have thought that at the beginning of the week?
The last words go to the British No2, Johanna Konta: “Right now I’m getting used to the fact that I’m not still out there converting match points! A lot of nerves out there, but at the same time I did enjoy that.”
Johanna Konta wins 7-6 (7-2), 6-3!
After beginning the second set in such a smooth rhythm Konta’s serve has become a little hit and miss. Even so, she wrestles things to 30-30 before Petkovic misplaces a return. Fourth match point: despite another sluggish second serve Konta gets herself into the point before firing the ball too deep. At deuce, Petkovic gets her feet all wrong and skews a forehand out. “Come on!” Konta screams. Fifth match point: Petkovic shuffles forward inside the baseline and cracks a fearless forehand into the corner of the court – but gifts the Briton a sixth match point! Petkovic puts too much hammer behind a forehand and it must be long, it must be... it is!
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Petkovic 6-7 3-5 Konta* (*denotes next server)
Despite that long and draining game, Petkovic seems to have refound her energy. They trade groundstrokes in an enthralling fourth point which Konta eventually wins, with the help of the net, to pull level at 30-30. However, Petkovic comes to the net on the next two points with great effect, holding serve. Konta will get another chance to serve for the match.
*Petkovic 6-7 2-5 Konta (*denotes next server)
All of a sudden Konta’s first serve deserts her. A double-fault makes matters worse to give Petkovic a lead at 15-40, but Konta recovers, dominating the next two points before swinging a perfect deuce-court serve out wide to give herself match point. Konta can’t seal it as Petkovic lands a well struck return, and then musters all her energy to reach a drop shot and present herself with a break point. She wastes it. Deuce, advantage Petkovic, deuce, advantage Petkovic, deuce again. Finally advantage to Konta. Can Konta see her second match point out? No! She flaps a nervous second serve over the net and is punished. Third match point: Konta offers up another tentative second serve and eventually sends a backhand long. Deuce again! Yet another net cord in the match goes Petkovic’s way and at break point Konta finally buckles, finding the net. At the end of a brilliantly agonising game, Petkovic has broken back.
Petkovic 6-7 1-5 Konta* (*denotes next server)
At 15-15, the third point of the game is contested by three: Petkovic, Konta and the net which can’t resist sticking its beak in. Three shots clip the tape before Konta finds the base of the net. The Briton wins the next two, however, with stunning crosscourt returns to open up a crucial break point. Petkovic saves it when Konta hits the net, but the next serve is flattened across court with an incredible flash of power, and she goes on to seal the game. Johanna Konta will serve for a place in the last 16!
Petra Kvitova awaits the winner:
All smiles from Petra as she books her spot in the R16 w/ 62 61 win over Schmiedlova. She awaits Petkovic-Konta. pic.twitter.com/tm2sMpeMtc
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 5, 2015
*Petkovic 6-7 1-4 Konta (*denotes next server)
If Konta continues to serve like this, she will reach the fourth round whatever Petkovic’s condition. Two aces and one unreturnable put the Briton two games away.
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Petkovic 6-7 1-3 Konta* (*denotes next server)
Petkovic is back serving but it is difficult to tell how comfortable she is. At 15-30 she slaps a pretty presentable forehand long and wide to suggest she isn’t quite herself. The German recovers to take the game to deuce after a couple of wayward Konta groundstrokes, and Petkovic saves a third break point with a thunderous backhand winner down the line, on the line. Petkovic battles through and is finally on the board in the second set.
Petkovic takes a medical time-out. As she is treated court-side, Johanna Konta takes herself away to the changing room and out of the New York heat for the three-minute wait.
*Petkovic 6-7 0-3 Konta (*denotes next server)
Konta races through the game, Petkovic dragging her feet between points and clearly suffering. She calls for a trainer and this doesn’t looks good for the 18th seed.
Petkovic 6-7 0-2 Konta* (*denotes next server)
Petkovic throws in two double-faults as Konta takes charge of the game, and with her second opportunity the Briton seals the break. Petkovic looks unwell, and between games rests her hands on her knees as if in some discomfort.
*Petkovic 6-7 0-1 Konta (*denotes next server)
Konta starts the second set where she left the first, dishing out some impressive groundstrokes peppered with the rare wayward shot. Petkovic makes a couple more mistakes of her own and Konta holds.
Konta wins the first set 7-6 (7-2)!
The quality of tennis has improved dramatically through the first set and the tie-break begins with a couple of long rallies, both players slugging powerful groundstrokes at each other from the baseline. Petkovic appears to have a slight edge in the longer points, taking the second with a powerful forehand down the line. She works a mini-break at 2-1 but Konta breaks back, displaying wonderful footwork in the process after a swinging Petkovic serve had left her almost behind a line judge. Two uncharacteristic mistakes from the frustrated German suddenly leave her 2-6 down, and she hooks a Konta return wildly out of play to relinquish the set.
First set: *Petkovic 6-6 Konta (*denotes next server)
Petkovic hits her first return of the game long, but Konta misses a great opportunity to move 30-0 clear, going for broke and overhitting a backhand. Petkovic drive-volleys home the next point and clinches the one after to go to 15-40: two break points. Konta digs out some improved serving to save them both but undoes all that work with a couple of loose forehands, and Petkovic pegs the British No2 back again. Tie-break.
First set: Petkovic 5-6 Konta* (*denotes next server)
Konta has an opportunity at 15-30 on Petkovic’s second serve, but the German musters a good one with which Konta can only find the net. However, Petkovic makes an error and Konta has a break point. They trade powerful groundstrokes, Konta sent this way and that, before hitting the 17th shot of the rally wide. Unperturbed, the Briton wins the next point before creaming a forehand winner crosscourt to break! Konta will serve for the first set.
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First set: *Petkovic 5-5 Konta (*denotes next server)
Konta wins the first point and then constructs a beauty, controlling from the baseline with low, powerful crosscourt backhands before dashing into the net to bury one. Petkovic makes a mistake to give Konta three chances to serve out the game: three first serves fail to land as Petkovic is allowed back in, but the 18th seed sends a forehand long at 40-30 and it’s all-square.
First set: Petkovic 5-4 Konta* (*denotes next server)
Petkovic opens up a 30-0 lead. On the next point she fails to put away a tricky drive volley but Konta can’t punish her, sending a backhand past the German at the net but just wide, and Petkovic pounces to lead 5-4. Back on serve. Konta must hold to stay in the opening set.
First set: *Petkovic 4-4 Konta (*denotes next server)
After slamming down her racket Petkovic got a telling off from the umpire, but returns to court pumped up and quickly rattles off three points. She takes her first break point chance, coming to the net and sending Konta the wrong way, and just like that she’s broken back.
First set: Petkovic 3-4 Konta* (*denotes next server)
Konta goes 30-0 behind but clatters a crosscourt forehand run past a stunned Petkovic, who was still landing back on the blue stuff after serving. A net cord helps Konta to work a break point, but karma intervenes with the net killing the German’s backhand to take the game to deuce. Konta gets to advantage before unleashing three hammer-forehands, each more powerful than the last until Petkovic eventually relents. Konta breaks! And Petkovic breaks her racket.
First set: *Petkovic 3-3 Konta (*denotes next server)
After a slightly shell-shocked start, Johanna Konta is starting to look very comfortable on her first jaunt to a grand slam third round. She moves to the net with nimble footwork to move 30-0 clear but a couple of errors follow a fine Petkovic winner to present the 18th seed with a break point. Konta bites the bullet with a punchy second serve, which at least gets her into the point, and Petkovic is first to blink in the rally by sending a forehand long. They trade points and return to deuce, before Konta shows brilliant anticipation to turn what should have been a Petkovic winner into one of her own. Konta holds.
First set: Petkovic 3-2 Konta* (*denotes next server)
Konta Garryowens one for Petkovic to pick out from the sunshine above, which she does with an impeccable half-court smash. The game peters out and the German takes it to keep on serve.
First set: *Petkovic 2-2 Konta (*denotes next server)
Konta steps to the baseline with her incredibly deliberate serving style, which features a deep trailing leg and nose-high ball toss. Perhaps confused, having never played Konta before, Petkovic barely gets into the game, netting a routine return at 40-15 to lose the game.
First set: Petkovic 2-1 Konta* (*denotes next server)
Petkovic moves into the net to kill the point at 15-all with a deft volley, but Konta hits back to force a couple of errors and earn herself a break point. Petkovic nets her first serve and then loops up a second with no power at all – only 65mph! Konta pumps a forehand deep which Petkovic can’t return, and it’s one break apiece.
First set: *Petkovic 2-0 Konta (*denotes next server)
Petkovic piles pressure on Konta’s serve and races into a 15-40 lead. Konta swats a forehand on to the tramline to save the first break point but can’t find the same accuracy on the next and Petkovic breaks.
First set: Petkovic 1-0 Konta* (*denotes next server)
It’s a ragged opening service game from Petkovic with a couple of forehands dumped into the net and the Briton takes it to deuce – but no further as the 18th seed sees out the game.
Lawrence will be here soon. In the meantime, here’s Kevin Mitchell’s match preview:
Konta said there was no “click moment” to kickstart her remarkable run. “It’s just been a progression. I’d like to think I do get a little wiser as time goes on and a little more experienced – good work, being healthy enough to do that work and being fortunate enough to have good people around me.”
What she has discovered is a way to handle adversity, to take it on rather than collapse under the weight of it.
“That’s actually a huge thing I’ve been working on with my team, enjoying the tough situations, enjoying the fact that I’ll need to go out there and fight for each point. I’ll lose some and win some but all that’s just part of the journey, and that’s OK. And that actually being OK is a big thing, not just saying you’re OK with it. It can become difficult, so we’re working on it.”
You can read the rest of the piece here.
