Johanna Konta eases into third round of the Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Naomi Osaka
RELENTLESS.
That was the word to describe Jo Konta this morning as she bludgeoned her way into the last 32 of the Aussie Open.
Britain’s new golden girl took the sting out of Japanese teenage sensation Naomi Osaka’s power game, wore her down and eventually left her in bits.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest Tennis news, gossip and rumours
It was 6-4 6-2 in an hour and nine minutes of hugely impressive tennis, a performance that sets up a clash against Caroline Wozniaki and cements the feeling that Konta’s in this for the long haul.
There’s nothing complicated about Konta’s game. She gives away virtually nothing on her own service and is ruthless at exploiting weaknesses in the other girl’s.
She’s cool, she’s methodical and once she gets her nose in front there’s just no stopping her.
Konta said: “Even when you’ve broken in the first set there’s still a lot of tennis to be played, but once I got ahead I was looking to keep the pressure on her, to impose myself and to create those chances for myself.
“I was pleased it worked out that way. Naomi didn’t do much wrong, but I just kept at her and it turned out another beautiful day in beautiful Melbourne!
“Caroline will be an incredibly tough next opponent, but then again we rarely get any easy rounds. That's a given.
related stories
“But I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'm looking forward to trying. I'm looking forward to being out on court, competing and ultimately to making my stay here last as long as possible.”
This second round tie in a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena was a perfect example of why that stay should really go well into the second week and the prospect of a quarter-final against Serena Williams.
Osaka, named the WTA’s Newcomer of the Year for 2016 after a string of explosive performances, hit some thunderous ground strokes from the off to go with a mule of a serve, yet even with all her talent and swagger she was always clinging on.
And sure enough, after a couple of near things, Konta broke her at 4-4, racing to 0-40 then biding her time to finish the job. Its’s a mark of the massive improvement in her game over the past year that from that moment the result was simply never in doubt.
She broke to love in the third game of the second, then again for 5-2 and by that time Osaka had no answers.
The 19-year-old will be one of the big noises in the women’s game pretty soon, little argument there. But this was a learning curve for her, a lesson dished out by someone who’s already very firmly in that bracket.