Johanna Konta made history when she became the first British woman to win the Miami Open, beating her Danish adversary Caroline Wozniacki 6 – 4, 6 – 3. This win takes Johanna to seventh in the world rankings, and considering the 25-year-old had a world ranking of 146 in June 2015; her dedication and perseverance are for all to admire. In fact, this win at the Miami Open was her third WTA Tour win from a fourth final.
It was in July 2016 that Johanna Konta got her first ever WTA trophy at the Bank of the West Classic. This was then followed by a near perfect performance in January 2017, at the Sydney International, where she picked up her second title without dropping a set. However, this win at Miami proves that Konta has what it takes to go all the way, as it was her first taste of victory in the Premier Mandatory-level of the WTA Tour.
Caroline Wozniacki was world number one in October 2010, and a win in the Miami Open would have been her first at this class since winning at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in 2011. However, as expected, with Konta on the rise and Caroline arguably past her peak, the British player was the online bookmakers’ pre-match favorite. Even more so, since Johanna had already beaten Caroline in they’re only previous meeting, in straight sets, at the third round of the Australian Open.
[pullquote]There is no doubt that Johanna Konta has taken the Women’s Tennis world by surprise; in fact, there has only been one other player this year who has been able to acquire more ranking points.[/pullquote] With her six wins over the ten days, facing up to the very best in the world, at one of the WTA’s Big Four Tournaments; Johanna has finally proven to herself and the world that she is indeed a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to the Grand Slams.
We are all hoping that Johanna and her team can carry on to achieve even more success and further develop her potential as a player. In the immediate months to follow, we will be able to see how the young British woman copes with the clay courts, as the Barcelona Open, BMW Open in Munich, Mutua Madrid Open, and Internazionali BNL d’Italia will provide the ideal setting to cement her status on the world stage.
This should then provide the ideal preparation for Konta to shine at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The pressure will be intense and it will definitely test the young woman’s resolve and character, as she will have the weight of the British public to bear. Sportingbet, an online sports book operator already have the British hope at 14/1 to be the Outright Winner at Wimbledon, and this price is certain to shorten if more victories and trophies are captured on the way to one of the most acclaimed grass court tournaments in the world.
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