Konta runs over Stephens

 Paris, June 4 

Johanna Konta became the first British woman in 36 years to reach the Roland Garros semifinals when she swept aside Sloane Stephens of the United States today.

Konta, the 26th seed, downed last year’s runner-up 6-1 6-4 and will face either Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova or Croatian 31st Petra Martic for a place in the final. Jo Durie was the last British woman to make the French Open semifinals in 1983.

The 28-year-old Konta had not won a match at Roland Garros in any of her previous four visits.

However, she now finds herself in her third semifinal at a Major after runs to the last-four at the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017.

“To play on the new Chatrier court for the first time was wonderful especially against one of the world’s best players,” said Konta. 

“I am super happy because the conditions were so windy and Sloane is the kind of player who can run away with a match. So I had to be prepared to keep her on the back foot and control the points.” 

Konta made sure of emulating Durie by breaking former US Open champion Stephens in the fourth and sixth games of the first set.

The Briton fired four aces and 12 winners past her 26-year-old opponent in the 35-minute opener. She then tightened her grip with a break in the opening game of the second set and that proved more than enough.

Such was Konta’s domination that she allowed Stephens just one point on her serve in the entire second set which ended with a whimper when the American sent a groundstroke wide of the mark. — AFP 

PLAY INTERRUPTED DUE TO RAIN

Rain stopped play at Roland Garros with Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka locked in a tight quarterfinal battle on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Federer was up two sets to one with the score at 7-6(4) 4-6 7-6(5) 3-3. In the last-eight clash on Court Philippe Chatrier, holder Rafa Nadal was leading 6-1 6-1 4-2 against Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori.