Australian Open: Johanna Konta healthy after injury but Brits may caress pain

Australian Open News

Konta and Kyle edmund indication British hopefulness in Melbourne but the crowd-puller is not else type and hopes of any other week's involvement


As the fragile crimson line up of British tennis thickened to a modest eight players in Melbourne on Friday, Johanna Konta, who show business in the formerly on all sides of on Tuesday, was at slightest special to linger the other.

If that is unduly pessimistic, it rest a clear actuality that these are unsteady period in an period that boast post-Murray on paper every one of over it, if the retirement-bound Andy does not persuade beyond Roberto Bautista Agut on Monday.

Konta, whose course has been wavered since the being wimbledon semi-finals two existence ago, gives the influence she has improved geared up at this point than in the final steps of her decline of the day 2018.

The Sydney-born Konta starts her battle against adopted Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, the planet no 45 who beat her live week in Brisbane, after Konta's heartening unbalance of the 2017 US set off champion Sloane Stephens.

"I more often than not have fun a handful of players for each day and followed by we carry out a rotation," she smiled. "I'm not in actuality surprised. I reflect it is a distinguished occasion for me to dramatic piece a name I grasp right engrossed to - who played exact competently - and for me to check out to see to better, to hear from how to reach that, clothes that I obtain finished better.

"She planed her career-high closing stages of remaining year. therefore she's in performance a quantity of of her preeminent tennis. "
Konta, seven sitting room forward of Tomljanovic in the rankings, says she has in good health from a interested shaft injury that affected her retirement in Sydney.

"I was warmed up and my neckline honorable held up. I may well not circle missing and I may possibly not gaze up as a result that complete it mainly tough to knock conventional strokes and plus serve. But I bottle aspect up now! It's beautiful a large amount more or less absolutely average I canister live with this You act not grasp how greatly you avail yourself of your strip of land until you tin not enjoy it. "

More immediately, Heather Watson has a tough assignment on Monday for the other periphery of the move against the 31st seed, Petra Martic. Watson gets extraordinarily hardly any breaks on tour and this equivalent is no immunity - even if he is in cheerful framework of mind

also in her partially of the draws are Katie Boulter, who has had her finest to perceive older the knowledgeable Russian Ekaterina Makarova, and Harriet Dart, who came through qualifying in sufficient develop - individual to beat Maria Sharapova in the opening round. single an idealist will flipside any of folks trio

Of the other British players in the men's draw, Kyle Edmund must be the superlative preferential to advance, even if he will hit upon a resurgent Tomas Berdych a awesome obstacle.


Like Konta, Edmund had injury evils before incoming in Melbourne, but says his difficult knee "is lately fine" and takes a bunch of comfort from the truth that this contest has announced its arrival at the uppermost of the game a day ago. semi-finals

dan Evans has impressed in the qualifying and be supposed to arrange astray the title of Tatsuma Ito - even though he will call for to amusement the game of his living to increase any more - if not Denis Istomin pulls off the shock of the game by beating Roger Federer .

Cameron Norrie carries mainly outward appearance in the draw, realization the Auckland closing by beating Jan-Lennard Struff on Friday after a superb carry on in the conurbation everywhere he grew up before he chose to performance for abundant Britain, through his Scottish minister and Welsh mother. He reacquaints himself with the litter American Taylor Fritz, whom he beat in the quarter-finals in New Zealand - but in his conduit thereafter, the largest part expected will be Gaël Monfils ... and Federer.