Johanna Konta must trust emotions against Serena Williams, says coach Wim Fissette
Tuesday 24 January 2017 14:16, UK
Johanna Konta's coach Wim Fissette has urged the British No 1 to trust her emotions against Serena Williams and focus more on tactics.
Konta faces the 22-time Grand Slam champion for a place in the Australian Open semi-finals, the same stage she reached last year before losing to eventual champion Angelique Kerber.
Williams is favourite but not by much, with Konta chasing her 10th consecutive victory on the back of winning her second WTA title in Sydney this month.
Konta is unlikely to be daunted by the challenge.
She was once renowned for crumbling under pressure - squandering leads and double faulting in key moments - but the Briton is now considered one of the most clinical players on tour.
Ranked ninth in the world, Konta hired Fissette in November to help take down opponents just like Williams and the Belgian says to do that, she must devote more attention to strategy.
"Johanna for the last year or more worked a lot on her mental side," Fissette said.
"For her, starting this year, she was speaking and going into matches talking a lot about the mental part - mental, mental, mental.
"She wanted to stay strong and have a high tolerance to everything whatever happens.
"We sat down about it and I told her, 'You are very strong mentally. I've seen you play, I worked with different players, you need to trust in that - you are strong'.
"So the idea was trying to get her more on the court focusing on the game plan and trusting that she can control her emotions."
Fissette can claim authority on overcoming Williams, having guided all four of his previous charges to victories over the American.
Under him, Kim Clijsters ousted her en route to winning the US Open in 2009 and Sabine Lisicki beat her at Wimbledon in 2013.
He then oversaw Simona Halep concede just two games at the WTA Championships in 2014 and last year, helped Victoria Azarenka beat Wiilliams in the final at Indian Wells.
The key, he says, is belief.
"I feel very happy I can say I have beaten Serena with four different players," Fissette said.
"And the most important thing is to really make my players feel they can beat her, that she is not unbeatable, because she is not.
"She is the best player ever, there is no doubt about that. But you can beat her.
"It's a fact that too many players go on court thinking Serena is unbeatable, but I'm telling you very clearly, she is not."
