By Ros Satar
- Johanna Konta beat Wimbledon finalist and ninth seed Garbiñe Muguruza 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 6-2
- At 3 hours and 23 minutes, it took the record for the longest women’s singles match at the US Open
- She faces 18th seed Andrea Petkovic in the third round
New York, USA – Johanna Konta continued her dream run, notching up her 15th straight singles win as she defeated this year’s Wimbledon runner-up Garbiñe Muguruza 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 6-2.
It was the second time they had met this year, and she once more prevailed in a three setter, now giving her the edge in their head to head, 2-1, and adding to Muguruza’s post Wimbledon woes. She had not managed a win until her first round at Flushing Meadows, at a time of some upheaval for the Venezuelan-born Spaniard.
Konta, who continues her leap up the rankings with this win kept her nerve after being rewarded with her persistence to nudge ahead a break in the first set, but as you would expect from a player in the Top 10, she was able to break back as the pair headed for a tie-break. Yet again she did just enough to sneak the lead with a couple of mini-breaks and taking it on her first set point.
Muguruza was quick to put her under pressure at the start of the second set but couldn’t make it stick, and a couple of breaks each at the end of the set in a far more nervy tie-break with mini-breaks a plenty. A controversial line-call may have just taken Konta’s focus away to allow Muguruza a chance to level the set, and to her credit Konta used her frustration to good effect by pulling out to a 4-0 lead before Muguruza clung on to a mammoth hold, saving four break points in the process to get on the score-board but things were looking very positive for Konta with a double break cushion.
Showing composure, she closed out the win to advance to the third round of the US Open for the first time, and currently looks to upwardly mobile in the rankings to surpass her previous career high of 89 (last July).
She said, after the match: “To be honest, I’m so tired – I think both of us are. I didn’t think she probably played her best today but credit to her, she’s an incredible fighter and no matter what level she brings, she always brings her top-10 mentality.
“I had to fight for every point, it wasn’t given to me, and I’m just happy to come back another day.”
Konta will face Andrea Petkovic, who defeated Laura Robson’s conqueror 6-3 7-6(4). There was better news for Robson though as she and partner Kirsten Flipkens defeated Lisa Raymond and Madison Keys to advance in the doubles.
The US Open third round starts in Friday.
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