Konta ready for slam after Sydney title win
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JOHANNA Konta made up for two previous losses to Agnieszka Radwanska with a 6-4, 6-2 win in the Sydney International final yesterday.
The dominating win came just three days ahead of the start of the Australian Open, where Britain’s 10th-ranked Konta was a surprise semifinalist last year.
After hitting an attempted drop shot into the net on her first match point, she made no mistake on the second, sending an ace past world No. 3 Radwanska to clinch the match.
“I made it very difficult for her to do much today,” Sydney-born Konta said.
Radwanska agreed.
“I can’t remember playing someone like this on that level, that consistent for the whole match,” the Pole said. “I couldn’t really say that I did something wrong. She was just playing amazing tennis ... aggressive from the first shot.”
In men’s play, there won’t be a third consecutive title for Viktor Troicki after the Serb lost 3-6, 6-7 (6) to Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the semifinals.
Troicki was trying to become the first player in the Open era to win three Sydney titles in a row, surpassing the feats of Pete Sampras, James Blake and Lleyton Hewitt, who did it twice.
The sixth-seeded Muller’s final opponent will be Daniel Evans of Britain, who beat Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. It will be Evans’ first ATP final.
In Auckland, Jack Sock will play Joao Sousa in today’s ASB Classic final. Sousa beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-1, 7-5 while Sock defeated Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-3.
Sock, who lost the 2016 final, will play his sixth ATP final.
At the Hobart International, Elise Mertens of Belgium beat fellow qualifier Jana Fett 6-4, 6-0 to advance to the final against Monica Niculescu. Mertens beat top-seeded Kiki Bertens on Thursday.
Earlier, Lesia Tsurenko withdrew from her semifinal against Niculescu, handing the Romanian a walkover.
Tsurenko, who has viral illness, has been drawn to meet top-ranked defending champion Angelique Kerber in the first round of the Australian Open.
The Australian Open begins on Monday, although Tsurenko might not have to play Kerber until Tuesday.
Konta, meanwhile, opens her second main-draw Australia Open campaign against Kirsten Flipkens, while Radwanska faces Tsvetana Pironkova.
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