Konta and Boulter through to Nottingham quarter-finals

10/06/21 • 4 MINUTE READ

Johanna Konta and Katie Boulter lead the British charge at the Viking Open Nottingham after safely progressing to the quarter-finals.

British No.1 Konta opened the day’s action with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Kateryna Kozlova.

Konta looked fresh and raring to go from the start, wasting no time in breaking the Ukranian in the first game. On a lengthy point at 15-30, she played her opponent across both sides of the court before easing a backhand winner down the line to set up break points, which she took at the first chance of asking.

At 30-30 on serve Konta swiped a clean backhand winner cross court leaving her opponent dead in her tracks and with a long ball from Kozlova, the British star took a 2-0 lead.

Her first serve was a big weapon in the opening set. When she needed it most, Konta unleashed two serves – one down the tee and another out wide – which Kozlova could barely get a racket to and then closed out the set with her fourth and fifth aces of the match.

With a one set lead, Konta started to come under pressure for the first time on serve. Kozlova pushed her to a lengthy deuce point and with a break point opportunity got the luck of the net cord as a cross court forehand trickled over the net.

Watch extended highlights from the Viking Open Nottingham by signing up to Advantage for free

Konta held for 3-1 but Kozlova was fully in the zone as mistakes began to creep in for the Brit. On a tight service game for the Ukrainian, Konta gifted her opponent a vital point with an uncharacteristic error, extending Kozlova’s lead to 4-1.

The World No.159 secured the double break and levelled the match at one set apiece.

With the second set behind her it was crucial that Konta started the decider on the front foot. At 1-1 she faced three break points but kept her cool to secure a pivotal hold, which gave her the confidence to push on in the match.

In the following game the Brit took her chance to go in front. With the Ukrainian charging into the net at 30-30 Konta brought one of the shots of the day with a backhand pass straight down the line, kicking up the paint on the baseline and setting her up to clinch the break.

In the end that was all she needed to book her place in her fourth quarter-final in Nottingham. A kicker second serve out wide forced Kozlova to drag her return into the tramlines and brought an end to a tough two hour eight minute match for the World No.20.

Addressing the chorus of fans at the end of the match, she said: “It was an incredibly tough match, she’s obviously playing really well on the surface and has beaten some tough players and I knew it wasn’t going to be a straightforward match. I’m just really happy to have fought hard and come through a match like that – it’s really great.”

All eyes were back on Centre Court for the final match of the day as Billie Jean King Cup teammates Heather Watson and Boulter went head-to-head.

Playing in the first all-British clash in the third round of a WTA event since 1992, both Brits put on a show in front of the home crowd.

A high quality first set saw both players dazzle throughout, hitting winners from all areas of the court and despite a couple of breaks mid-way through, the match remained evenly poised. On a decisive point in the tie-break at 3-3, Boulter was left visibly frustrated at a call that hadn’t gone her way, but it only seemed to fire her up – she won the next four points and celebrated a well-earned lead.

Boulter never looked back from there – in the third game of the second set she broke Watson to love and served impeccably to seal her second win over a top 100 opponent this week, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

She said: “I love this court – I feel like I play some really good matches on it and I’m really proud of myself, it was a really good match.

“I’m really happy with the way I’ve been playing but I’ve got to keep building and hopefully I can do that with each match.”

This is fifth time in the last five years that two British women have reached the quarter-final or better at the same WTA event, after just seven times in the previous 37 years.

2021 - NOTTINGHAM
BOULTER, KATIE GBR
KONTA, JOHANNA GBR

2018 - NOTTINGHAM
BOULTER, KATIE GBR
KONTA, JOHANNA GBR

2017 - LUXEMBOURG
BROADY, NAOMI GBR
WATSON, HEATHER GBR

2017 - EASTBOURNE
KONTA, JOHANNA GBR
WATSON, HEATHER GBR

2016 - MONTERREY
KONTA, JOHANNA GBR
WATSON, HEATHER GBR

2013 - GUANGZHOU
KONTA, JOHANNA GBR
ROBSON, LAURA GBR

2012 - OSAKA
ROBSON, LAURA GBR
WATSON, HEATHER GBR

2010 - MEMPHIS
BALTACHA, ELENA GBR
KEOTHAVONG, ANNE GBR

1992 - WELLINGTON
JAVER, MONIQUE GBR
WOOD, CLARE GBR

1991 - PATTAYA CITY
JAVER, MONIQUE GBR
LOOSEMORE, SARAH GBR

1988 - APTOS
DURIE, JO GBR
GOMER, SARA GBR

1988 - AUCKLAND
GOMER, SARA GBR
WOOD, CLARE GBR

Viking Open Nottingham

Don't miss any of the latest news and behind-the-scenes action from the Viking Open Nottingham by following the LTA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.