Johanna Konta is 'definitely top 10' material, says Barry Cowan
Sky Sports expert hopeful new world No 14 can make an impression at US Open
Tuesday 26 July 2016 09:09, UK
After claiming her first WTA Tour title on Sunday, British No 1 Johanna Konta will be aiming to break into the world's Top 10, says Barry Cowan.
Konta became the first British woman to win the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford since Sue Barker in 1977, and now rises to a career-high No 14 in the world after the 7-5 5-7 6-2 victory against Venus Williams.
In June 2015 she was ranked 147th, but a dramatic improvement in form has seen her reach the semi-finals of January's Australia Open, and at Eastbourne in June.
The 25-year-old turned in one of her best performances of a remarkable season against the Wimbledon semi-finalist and Cowan feels that Konta will now hope to impress at the US Open.
"I'm so pleased that she put in a performance that she did to win her first title," said the Sky Sports tennis expert. "I think it's huge because I felt it was slightly disappointing at Wimbledon, not that she played badly, but I thought she was potentially in the mix to go really far.
"Her performance last week in beating Dominika Cibulkova and then Venus Williams, closing in on the top 10, she's now there or thereabouts.
"When you become an elite player, and Jo is that now, she would have felt being seeded in the top 16, that there was a real chance for her to go deep into the second week at Wimbledon.
"She lost to Eugenie Bouchard, who obviously wasn't the player she was, but who did play well, but you rebound back and she's absolutely done that in her first tournament back and now she can look forward to the US Open."
It all started at Flushing Meadows for Konta as her winning run of 16 matches was ended with defeat by fifth seed Petra Kvitova in the fourth round.
She followed that up by making her first ever Grand Slam semi-final in Australia this year although she failed to make an impression at the French Open and at the All England Club this summer.
"I remember thinking when she had that great run at the US Open that it wasn't a flash in the pan," Cowan said. "I thought that here was someone who wasn't one of those players where everything clicked for two weeks and the rest of the year she would struggle for results.
"It's obviously been a stepping stone and she continues to have great results and clearly has her head screwed on properly. She's not getting ahead of herself.
"Apart from Serena Williams there is no one else who is locked in to make a semi-final or a final of a Grand Slam.
"I think Konta is there with all the others, she has a good a chance as anyone else, apart from Serena.
"I think she's definitely top 10."
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