Johanna Konta backed to end Grand Slam title wait after disappointing Wimbledon exit

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Five times Johanna Konta has made it to the last eight of a Grand Slam but not once has that been converted into a final appearance, let alone the title.

Yet following her latest demise at the business end of Wimbledon, in which she conceded a 4-1 lead to lose 7-6, 6-1 to Barbora Strycova, the 28-year-old Briton was still being tipped to bounce back and become a major winner.

Two-time Grand Slam winner Tracy Austin, twice a Wimbledon semi-finalist, said: “I still see Jo as a Grand Slam champion. She’s really matured this year and I love the variation she’s added to her game. She’s continuing to grow her game but she needs more.

“Strycova was just very, very tricky. She’s got different spins, she’s crafty, she comes to the net a lot, gets a lot of balls back in play.

“Under pressure, it’s helpful for Jo that she has more options to her game: different points and not always the same tempo. That’s been very beneficial to her game.”

Konta was the clear favourite in the quarter-final on Centre Court, having dispatched former Grand Slam champions Sloane Stephens and Petra Kvitova in the previous rounds.

However, she came unstuck when denied the sort of hard-hitting opponent she relishes facing.

And she reacted angrily in her post-match press conference, accusing one reporter of picking on her and being patronising when questioned about how she has coped with the big points of major matches.

Fed Cup captain Anne Keothavong leapt to Konta’s defence, praising her for her handling of the likes of Stephens and two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova.

“I’ve really enjoyed watching her battle, particularly in the previous two matches where she had to fight back each time from a set down,” said Keothavong. She weathered the storm very well against Kvitova and she keeps putting herself in good positions.

“Dealing with the pressure comes with experience. She has spoken openly about the work she’s done on the mental side and that’s reflected in the tennis she’s able to produce. I think she does actually handle the high-pressure situations better. Strycova was crafty, different and liked being the underdog on Centre Court.”

Strycova marches onto the semi-final.
AP

Konta is expected to take some time off and stay in London after her Wimbledon exit, training here before a return to action at the Rogers Cup in Toronto at the start of next month as she rebuilds for the US Open.

And the British No1 said she has her sights set on another long run at a third straight Grand Slam. She said: “The best I can do is put myself in the positions to give myself the opportunity to keep going further and further.

“It will either happen or it won’t. I’m not less a person or player if I don’t get past this point.”

Keothavong believes Konta’s burgeoning relationship with her coach Dimitri Zavialoff, which started back in November, will enable her to handle the pressure situations at subsequent big tournaments, starting with the US Open at the end of August.

She said: “He’s been great for her. He’s encouraging her to try different things and not be afraid of that, to be open to change. He’s also increasingly got her to stay calm out there and trust that she’s able to figure that out.

“He doesn’t come on court for on-court coaching at events where that’s allowed as he believes a player should be able to trust their own instincts and figure it out for themselves.”

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