Venus halts Konta’s run in Wuhan
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Grand slam finalists Garbine Muguruza and Roberta Vinci stormed into the last four of the Wuhan Open yesterday while Venus Williams ended the giant-killing run of Briton Johanna Konta.
Konta had accounted for world No. 2 Simona Halep of Romania, 13th-seeded German Andrea Petkovic and benefited from former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus retiring from their second-round clash but seven-time grand slam champion Williams proved too strong.
The 24-year-old Sydney-born Konta, ranked 66th in the world, seemed on course for victory when she served for the match at 5-3 in the third set.
The American, however, broke serve before reeling off the next three games to wrap up a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win.
“Johanna played so well. She’s had a wonderful summer and beat so many players this tournament,” Williams said. “It seemed like I was finished but I felt the energy of the crowd behind me.”
The 35-year-old former world No. 1’s reward for coming through the slug fest on the blue hardcourts of Wuhan in central China’s Hubei Province is a clash with Italian Vinci, who knocked out Czech Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (2), 6-3.
Vinci, who ended the calendar grand slam ambitions of Venus’ sister Serena Williams in the semifinals of the US Open last month, was delighted to follow up her upset win over Pliskova’s compatriot, third-seeded defending champion Petra Kvitova, in the previous round.
“Today was another tough match. Karolina plays so good, and so flat, so for me it was difficult especially at the beginning,” said the 32-year-old who lost the US Open final to compatriot Flavia Pennetta.
“But I served well and I’m really happy I’m in the semifinals here in Wuhan for the first time. It’s incredible here, a nice city, nice court, it’s just really exciting for me.”
Wimbledon runner-up Muguruza had a far easier afternoon as she swept past Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-2.
The heavy-hitting 21-year-old Spaniard can go as high as world No. 4 depending on results this week but her focus was simply on her form. “You don’t play at this level every day so for me it was great to be playing like this,” she said.
Muguruza next plays German sixth seed Angelique Kerber, who emerged victorious against Coco Vandeweghe as the American retired hurt while trailing 1-6, 1-3.
In Tashkent, top-seeded Annika Beck was eliminated in the Tashkent Open quarterfinals, losing to Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia 6-2, 5-7, 3-6 yesterday as four unseeded players reached the semifinals.
The loss ended the German’s bit for a second WTA title in two weeks after her victory in Quebec City last month.
Jovanovski will next face Nao Hibino of Japan, who beat Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova 6-3, 6-3.
Fourth-seeded Johanna Larsson of Sweden was beaten 3-6, 7-5, 0-6 by Russia’s Evgenia Rodina. In the semifinals, Rodina meets Donna Vekic of Croatia, who beat German Anna-Lena Friedsam 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.
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