Johanna Konta beats Andrea Petkovic to reach last 16 at US Open
Saturday 5 September 2015 18:59, UK
British underdog Johanna Konta reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time after beating Andrea Petkovic 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 at the US Open.
Ranked 97th in the world, Konta sits 79 spots lower than her German opponent but the British No 2 continued her remarkable run in Flushing Meadows with a straight sets success.
It means Konta extends an impressive winning streak to 16 consecutive matches since losing to Maria
Sharapova at Wimbledon and she will now meet two-time major champion Petra Kvitova for a place in the quarter-finals.
Konta, who needed three hours and 27 minutes to upset ninth-seeded Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza in the last round, needed six match points to finish the victory four minutes shy of two hours into the contest on Louis Armstrong Court.
Beating the Czech player represents a seismic task but if achieved, Konta would become the first British female to reach the last eight of a major tournament since Jo Durie at Wimbledon in 1984.
"It was tough, even if she wasn't at her best she is still one of the best competitors on the tour," Konta said of her match against Petkovic.
"I'm just really happy I made it through in the end. I've been playing a good level of tennis all year but it's always a confidence boost when you get to compete against the best players in the world."
After six breaks of serve in the first set she claimed the tie-break in style - winning seven points in a row to take a deserved one-set lead.
The 18th ranked Petkovic then appeared bothered by the heat during the second set. Trailing Konta 0-3, she had the trainer on court taking her blood pressure and pulse.
Konta failed to take advantage of three match points in the 18-point seventh game, allowing Petkovic to break her serve.
But two games later, Konta secured the win on her third match point of the ninth game when Petkovic sailed a forehand long.
British No 1 Heather Watson, due to rise slightly from No 61, is certainly within her sights while the prize for making the US Open fourth round stands at 213,575 US dollars (£140,848) - the largest haul of Konta's career.
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