Johanna Konta is ready to embrace the challenge of being a British standard bearer at Wimbledon.
Konta, 25, arrived at the All England Club in confident mood, enjoying her new status as a top 16 seed ahead of a first round match with Puerto Rica’s Monica Puig.
She reported no problems from a fall in her semi-final defeat in Eastbourne 24 hours earlier, a narrow 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 loss to Karolina Pliskova that cost her a first WTA Tour final appearance.
However, the British number one has never been beyond the first round in four previous appearances in SW19, although her run to semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open and recent form means all that should surely change next week.
Konta, 25, arrived at the All England Club in confident mood, enjoying her new status as a top 16 seed ahead of a first round match with Puerto Rica’s Monica Puig.
She reported no problems from a fall in her semi-final defeat in Eastbourne 24 hours earlier, a narrow 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 loss to Karolina Pliskova that cost her a first WTA Tour final appearance.
However, the British number one has never been beyond the first round in four previous appearances in SW19, although her run to semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open and recent form means all that should surely change next week.
But such talk is a new feeling for Konta, the highest British women’s seed since Jo Durie in 1984.
“I’ve never been in Andy Murray’s shoes. I don’t know what he experiences, so this will be a new thing for me,” she said.
“I’m here to play, not to have a reaction or manage other people’s expectations. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m here to play my tennis and really enjoy the experience while hopefully giving the crowd some good matches to enjoy.
“I guess the less I think about it, the less of a thought process needs to go into it. I approach every single tournament the same. I’m playing the same players as throughout the year.
“The stage changes but there are certain energies, emotions and buzz that go along with a slam.”
Puig will be no first round walkover, she is ranked 45th in the world and has certainly been enjoying her grass court season, progressing through qualifying to reach the last four in the Eastbourne, where she was beaten by eventual champion Dominika Cibulkova.
The pair have clashed once before – with Konta taking three sets to progress on grass last year in Nottingham.
“It will be a really tough match,” added Konta.
“She made the quarters in Nottingham and semis in Eastbourne, so she is obviously playing very well on this surface.
“I feel like I’ve had some really good matches against some really good players. Whether I’ve won some, lost some, also having time on the grass, I feel very lucky to have had that.
“I just feel happy that I’m healthy and the sun is shining.”
