Johanna Konta, Britain’s best hope of success at the US Open after the shock withdrawal of Andy Murray, crashed out on day one to Aleksandra Krunic, a diminutive Russian-born Serb who admits she has a weak serve and questionable work ethic. Krunic, who had not beaten a top-10 player since making the fourth round here three years ago, nevertheless had enough in her armoury of slices and deftly placed returns to make the most of Konta’s poor serving – fewer than half of the British player’s 99 first serves went in – and is through to the second round after winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 17 minutes on a mild day on the Grandstand court. “She’s an awesome player,” Krunic said courtside of the world No7. “We can all play forehands and backhands, but I had to get my act together. I’m not the best server on Tour. I almost serve under the net. And I’m not the hardest worker. I was brave enough to make
Mike Remmers Jerseysome winners.” The Recap: sign up for the best of the Guardian's sport coverage Read more Konta, who also lost in the first round of the French Open this year, struggled to disguise her disappointment but insisted it was important not to “catastrophise” the defeat. The seventh seed will return to London as soon as possible to spend time with her parents but still harbours ambitions of making the end-of-year WTA Finals in Singapore. Konta paid tribute to her opponent, ranked 71 places below her in the rankings, but the conqueror of Petra Kvitova in her golden run here in 2013. “I don’t take anything for granted. I think it would be quite obnoxious of me to come in here expecting I have a right to be in second week. “She played consistently much better than I did. She was able to raise her level throughout the match and mine fluctuated a bit up and down. In terms of effort and fight I competed until the very last point. I didn’t think of the French Open while I was playing. I was very much involved in the match that I was playing. “First rounds in every tournament, and especially at slams, can be tricky, can be difficult for everyone – for me personally – finding your footing and playing yourself into the tournamentLife for Johanna Konta before the US Open, which begins on Monday, is as serene and full of hope as Andy Murray’s is of lingering pain and uncertainty, although Friday’s draw was kind to both of Britain’s best players. Maria Sharapova to face No2 seed Simona Halep in US Open first
http://www.minnesotavikingsauthorizedstore.com/pat-elflein-jersey-elite round Read more Konta and Murray enter the final major of the season in contrasting moods and circumstances that may yet play out to a script that has been written in pencil rather than indelible ink since Wimbledon. ?? Murray, beaten by Sam Querrey in the quarter-finals at his home tournament, has not played since, nursing a hip injury that, at worst, could signal the early signs of arthritis (he was still limping slightly in practice this week), while Konta, denied an historic appearance in the final at the All England Club by an inspired Venus Williams, has regrouped to her satisfaction – if not that of Chris Evert, who has described her preparation for Flushing Meadows as “disappointing”. Murray can relax a little with the prospect of an undemanding first fixture in an easy section of the men’s draw against Tennys Sandgren – a young American of Swedish descent – and Konta, too, starts her campaign with reduced pressure, against the 24-year-old
Authentic Deion Jones Youth Jersey Russian Aleksandra Krunic, ranked 77 in the world. The seventh seed, relaxed and in rude health despite unsubstantiated rumours she came away from Wimbledon carrying an injury, looked surprised when Evert’s remarks were relayed to her over breakfast at one of Manhattan’s finest hotels on Friday morning. Konta has played more matches this year than last, going deeper in the big events, although she has played only four matches between the third and fourth majors of the schedule, as opposed to 14 in 2016. “I think I did pretty well in Australia,” Konta said. “I like to think I did pretty well at Wimbledon and that I will do well at some point at the French Open. I feel like I’m improving in every slam that I’m playing – maybe not results-wise but I do think each year I am getting better. I think I made the most of my build-up here. My first match after Wimbledon [in Toronto] I played against [Ekaterina] Makarova, whom I have played a lot of good matches with. Advertisement “People
http://www.officialsfalconsauthenticshop.com/Deion_Sanders_Jersey_Cheapforget that she has made the fourth round or better at every slam and she just came off the back of winning Washington. In three weeks I hadn’t played a match, so I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I felt quite happy with how I played. “In the three matches I played in Cincinnati [losing to Simona Halep in the semi-finals] I got better with each match. I could have won both events but it didn’t happen. But it doesn’t mean that I feel bad about it. I feel pretty good with where I’m at right now.” Konta’s rivalry with Halep, who fell to pieces in the Cincinnati final against the Wimbledon champion Garbi?e Muguruza – and has drawn Maria Sharapova in the first round here – is developing into something special. They could meet in the quarter-finals
