Tuesday 17 January 2017 13:52, UK
Johanna Konta battled her way into the Australian Open second round after proving too strong for Kirsten Flipkens.
It was not the most assured performance from the British No 1 in her opening match on Margaret Court Arena but she still convincingly overcame Flipkens 7-5 6-2.
The ninth seed's 22 unforced errors, 12 from her usually reliable backhand side, made the contest closer than it could have been but Konta will now face Japan's talented teenager Naomi Osaka in round two.
"It was incredibly tricky," Konta said. "She has the kind of game that can make any player feel really uncomfortable out there, the way she's able to use her slice and just her general creativity. She's incredibly good at that.
"So I knew going into the match that I was going to have to stay patient and really just try to play myself into the match, as I'm sure we both were. I'm happy to have come through it."
Konta finished in an hour and 36 minutes but looked nervous walking out on court and committed eight unforced errors in the opening three games alone.
However, at 2-2, she found her groove, winning three of the next four games to lead 5-3, thanks to a break sealed with a driving backhand that was too hot for Flipkens to handle.
Serving for the set at 5-4, however, Konta wavered again as two loose backhands and then a double fault offered Flipkens her first of four break points, during a tense 10-minute game in which both players squandered chances.
Konta had two set points but failed to convert and instead it was Flipkens that levelled at 5-5 when a wayward backhand volley flew out.
At one stage in her career, Konta might have crumbled but now she is made of sterner stuff, proved again when she had to replay a break point she clearly would have won, as a wrong call out was corrected. It made no difference - Konta broke for 6-5 and served out the first set to love.
The second set was more straightforward for the Briton, who broke decisively at 2-2 with another trademark backhand winner. When the same shot flew past Flipkens a game later, the Belgian could only clap her racket in resignation.
One unusual moment soon after saw a Flipkens lob land down on her opponents' foot, with Konta misjudging the flight of a ball she thought was dropping out. The next point she fired off a backhand down the line and broke again for 5-2 before securing the set and the win.
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