Australian Open 2019: Jo Konta's neck injury 'pretty much normal' ahead of tournament start

Konta takes on Australia’s Alja Tomljanovic in the first round

Konta had struggled in the run-up to the tournament in Melbourne (AFP/Getty)

Johanna Konta might be feeling left out when the Australian Open gets underway here on Monday. Eight British singles players – the most since 1988 – will play in the main draw at the year’s opening Grand Slam tournament, but Konta is the only one of them who has to wait until Tuesday to play her first match.

Konta, who will take on Australia’s Alja Tomljanovic, might be grateful for an extra day’s preparation after suffering with a neck problem at last week’s Sydney International. She retired from her final qualifying match and was then unable to take up a “lucky loser” spot in the main draw because of her fitness.

“My neck just kind of seized up,” Konta said here. “I couldn't turn left and I couldn’t look up, so that made it particularly difficult to hit normal strokes and also serve.

“Basically there was nothing to be done. It wasn't like a muscle spasm or anything. It wasn't one of those things that warmed up. That's why I went out on court and tried, because I wanted to see if it did or if it loosened up and who knows what adrenaline and getting into the match could do.

“Basically the range I had was the range I had. I was hoping after I had to withdraw, maybe if I could get in as a lucky loser, maybe not get scheduled on the next day but maybe on the Tuesday, who knows? I got a lucky loser, but I was scheduled the next day and it wasn't any better.

“To be fair it wasn't any better on the Tuesday either, so I don't think I could have even played then. It was just a bit of a random thing and unfortunate - but I can look up now.”

Konta said that she felt “pretty much almost completely normal” now and added with a laugh: “I can live with this. I'm very happy about that, but you don't realise how much you use your neck until you can't use it.”

Tomljanovic will be a familiar opponent. Konta beat the 25-year-old Australian in Brisbane last year but lost to her at the same venue a fortnight ago.

Konta said: “I think it's a great opportunity for me to play someone I've just lost to who played very well and, I guess, for me to try to do better, to try and almost immediately learn from how that match went, the things that I could have done better and try and do them this time.”

Born in Croatia, Tomljanovic reached a career-high position of No 43 in the world rankings at the end of last year. “I think she's playing some of her best tennis so far so that's a good opportunity for me to play against someone who is in good form,” Konta said.

Konta began last year as a top 10 player, but the 27-year-old Briton struggled through 2018 and eventually parted company with her coach, Michael Joyce, who subsequently linked up with Eugenie Bouchard. Konta is now working with the Frenchman Dimitri Zavialoff, who used to coach Stan Wawrinka and Timea Bacsinszky.

Konta will meet Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round (Getty)

“I think a lot of the work that we're doing is not going to necessarily have immediate effect,” Konta said. “I think a lot of the things take time to implement. Like with anything it does take time to make it a habit - and also one you don't have to think about any more.

“I’m continuously working on the things we're doing and I definitely think I have that awareness that I'm trying to do that in the match as well, but I think generally everything will take time.”

Konta, who was born and raised in Sydney, has often played well in the country of her birth. She won the Sydney title in 2017 and made her biggest Grand Slam breakthrough here in 2016 when she reached the semi-finals before losing to Angelique Kerber. She lost to Serena Williams in the quarter-finals here in 2017 but suffered a surprising defeat to Bernarda Pera, the world No 123, last year.