Britain’s Johanna Konta bagged her first WTA title after pulling off a surprise 7-5 5-7 6-2 win over local favourite Venus Williams in the finals of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford.
The third-seeded Konta served 11 aces and toyed with her top-seeded opponent’s second serve to emerge victorious in a grueling title-clash that lasted two hour and 18 minutes.
Serving for the first set at 5-4, Konta’s serve was broken by a big forehand from Venus. However, the Brit broke back right away and held her serve for love thereafter to take the first set.
The second echoed its predecessor as the game was all locked up evenly at 5-5. This time, however, it was Venus who reeled off the next two games to force in a decider.
Konta produced a scintillating piece of tennis in the third, breaking her fancied opponent on two occasions while consolidating hers all through to pocket her career’s biggest triumph.
In the women’s double final, the American duo of Raquel Atawo and Abigail Spears needed just 64 minutes to cruise for a 6-3 6-4 win over Darija Jurak and Anastasia Rodionova.
First WTA Final ✓
First WTA Title ✓Well done @JoKonta91! #BOTWC https://t.co/h60GRBiVQ5
— WTA (@WTA) July 24, 2016
