Johanna Konta a perfect example of where a never-give-up attitude gets you on a proud day for the Brits
Nick Bollettieri on how Konta joined Andy Murray in the quarter-finals in what was a first in 44 years for British Tennis
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Holy mackerel, you Brits must be proud. For the first time in more than 40 years you have a man and a woman through to the singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
We’ve known for a long time what Murray’s capable of, but it’s only been in the last couple of years that Konta has realised her potential. Man, can you believe that she was ranked outside the world’s top 140 only two summers ago?
Not so long ago you would have said that a player who hadn’t made the top 100 by the time she was 24 was never going to do so, but look at the age of some of the top players now. Times have changed.
Konta’s improvements show what determination and resilience can do for you. She had to rethink her career after the Lawn Tennis Association changed its funding policies, but she went and took on a Spanish coach who helped put her on the right track, worked hard on the mental side of her game and started putting together some great results.
As a coach I find her fascinating to watch. She has a great forehand but it’s quite an unusual stroke. Her elbow is tucked in so tight it almost looks like it’s part of her body. Then there’s that slow service action, though I like the way she uses her legs to generate more power.
She takes the ball early, she’s an excellent mover and she goes for it. She looks to be aggressive all the time and that’s the way you have to play these days.
Konta will have her work cut out against Simona Halep in the quarter-finals and Murray will know he’ll have to be on his game against Sam Querrey, who continues to be an inspiration to young Americans.
Tuesday’s match of the day
Boy, am I looking forward to Venus Williams taking on Jelena Ostapenko in the quarter-finals. It’s a battle between youth and experience – 20-year-old Ostapenko against 37-year-old Williams – and a match that won’t be for the faint-hearted. Holy cow, there will be some big hitting out there.
Ostapenko goes for her shots as if she’s got a train to catch. She’s a huge ball striker who likes to dictate the points. She’s also one of the few players who can regularly hit winners from the centre of the court, where most players tend to play more neutral shots.
However, Ostapenko doesn’t handle changes of pace that well and I’m sure Venus will attack her second serve. Venus herself will need to have a big serving day and will have to get into the net to hit those great volleys of hers. She won’t win by staying at the back of the court. The longer the rallies go, the better Ostapenko’s chances.
Tales from the IMG Academy
Boris Becker first visited the IMG Academy late in 1993. His lawyer set up the visit but didn’t explain why Boris wanted to come. While Boris was with us he wanted to know everything about the academy and inspected all the facilities. He spent a bit of time on court with one of my pros, played some golf with me and seemed to enjoy his visit.
When he left I thought nothing more of it, but when I was at the Grand Slam Cup in Munich a couple of weeks later Boris invited me to his house for dinner. He wanted me to coach him.
However, Boris had been sliding down the world rankings that year and I wanted to know if he really wanted to play tennis any more. He assured me he did, said he wanted to get back to the top again and would do “whatever it takes” to get there. I reached across the dinner table, shook his hand, and said I looked forward to working with him.
A tip from the top
When a lob goes up, the temptation is always to hit your smash before the ball hits the ground. Usually that’s a good principle to follow, but when it’s windy let the ball bounce and then hit your overhead. You will be giving your opponent more time to prepare, but, more importantly, you’ll be improving your chances of hitting a better shot.
The perfect tennis player
Each day during Wimbledon I’m building a picture of the ideal tennis player by looking at a different aspect of the game. Today: the drop shot, which can be so effective on grass and clay.
In the past people used to call the drop shot a “cissy shot”. Back in the 1960s I was the pro at the Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. I always remember seeing a group of ladies coming off the court and hearing one of them say: “I’m not playing with her any more. All she ever does is play those cissy shots.”
Today the so-called cissy shot has become one of the biggest weapons on the tour today. That’s why when I think of those with the best drop shots they all tend to be modern players.
Andy Murray and Agnieszka Radwanska have great drop shots, but there are two current players I might put above them. Roger Federer has such beautiful feel for the ball that his drop shots can be devastating. Kei Nishikori, meanwhile, is the absolute master of disguise, which is often the key to a good drop shot. Kei comes in like he’s going to hit a big forehand or backhand but then on the forward part of the stroke he changes his grip and hits a drop shot – all in the same motion.
And while I’m talking about Kei, I think I was a little unfair when I wrote about him here last week. Perhaps that was down to my disappointment over a defeat for one of the most brilliant players who have come through the academy. Kei has been with us since he arrived at the age of 13 under a sponsorship scheme run by my close friend, Masaaki Morita.
Andre Agassi is one of those who have commented on what fantastic eyes, hands and feet Kei has. And while he will never be one of the game’s biggest servers, Kei has made up for that with the quality, placement and variety of his serves.
Kei has a great team around him. Dante Bottini has helped to develop his wonderful technique, Michael Chang has helped him learn how to fight and his physical team have got him into great shape. Kei has achieved his best results on hard courts and I’m sure he’s going to have a great summer.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments