Konta into quarter-finals of Aussie Open after epic battle with Makarova
Eastbourne based Konta came through three hours and four minutes of tough Grand Slam tennis to beat Ekaterina Makarova 4-6 6-4 8-6.
The last British women to play in the quarter fianls of a Grand Slam was Jo Durie at Wimbledon in 1984.
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Hide AdKonta dropped the first set but powered back in the second and then showed great stamina and determination as she held her nerve to seal victory against the Russian 21st seed.
The Eastbourne based player, ranked 47th in the world, will face either big serving Madison Keys of America or Shuai Zhang of China for a place in the semi-finals.
After the match Konta said, “It was mentally emotionally and physically draining. I left it all out there on court. Ran every single ball and was fortunate enough to capitalise on some opportunities.”
Konta also beat Makarova at the Eastbourne International in June last year. She has beaten five top-20 players since last year’s US Open.
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Hide AdKonta added, “You (the crowd) made so much noise, it felt like whole stadium was full. The noise carries us in really difficult suituations so thank you. You (the crowd) are a big part of why I made it today.”