WHAT HAPPENED: Johanna Konta overcame a deeply concerning health scare to record a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over Tsvetana Pironkova that looked highly improbable at best during the second set.
Things had started perfectly for the British No.1, who arrived at Flushing Meadows with a career-high seeding of No.13. Seemingly intent on living up to her ranking from the off, Konta broke her opponent’s serve at the first time of asking before consolidating a second break for a 6-2 scoreline in the opener.
Back on the site of her Grand Slam breakthrough, Konta hit the cover off the ball in the first set, with Pironkova unable to find an answer to the relentlessly deep ground strokes coming at her off either wing.
The second set looked to be heading in a similar direction when Konta broke for a 3-2 lead. But Pironkova, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2010, is nothing if not a fighter, and she broke back immediately, with the pressure suddenly switching to the No. 13 seed. Serving at 5-6 down, Konta fended off two set points, but at the third time of asking she suddenly bent over before falling to the ground in the sweltering heat on Court 13.
Breathing heavily and in visible distress, the Brit could be heard saying that her whole body “felt like it was in shock.” The doctor and trainer were called during a 14-minute medical timeout in which Konta’s blood pressure was taken, but to the crowd’s relief she returned to her chair unaided. Play resumed with Konta at break point down, and she promptly double faulted to hand Pironkova the second set.
After an extended bathroom break, any serious concerns about Konta’s health were soon allayed as she chased down a drop shot at the end of a long rally, dispatching it for an immediate break of serve in the third set. Pironkova, who struggled to retain any of the momentum she built up in the second set, tried in vain to get back into the match and produced a break point at 2-3 down, but Konta saved it before closing out a hugely dramatic match.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN: First and foremost, Konta and those around her will look to assess exactly what happened to her and why. There was genuine concern on Court 13 as she lay prone on the court, and no one wants a repeat.
But from a tennis perspective, this was actually an encouraging performance for Konta. A year ago, she turned up at Flushing Meadows ranked No. 97 in the world, and promptly won three qualifiers before stunning Spaniard Garbiñe Muguruza en route to the fourth round – then her best showing at a Grand Slam. Now, ranked 83 places higher, she looks capable of being a threat at every Slam she enters.
Players that experience an upturn in form as sudden as Konta’s can be subject to speculation that they are a flash in the pan as opposed to the real deal. But Konta is very much looking like the latter.
This was a match that showcased Konta’s substantial arsenal – her shotmaking in the first set was too hot for Pironkova to handle – while she also demonstrated her mental resolve, bouncing back from her second set trials with a display of exemplary shot selection.
One does have to feel for Pironkova, who understandably lost momentum in the decider. If Konta remains healthy, she should feel optimistic about reaching her first major quarterfinal in New York, where she could meet Muguruza.
THE QUESTION: How deep can an on-song Konta go at this year’s US Open?
