French Open: Jo Konta’s Roland Garros dream comes to an end with semi-final defeat to Vondrousova

ByEurosport

Updated 07/06/2019 at 12:32 GMT

Johanna Konta’s remarkable and unexpected run at the French Open came to a sudden end in the semi-finals on Friday with defeat to Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets.

Konta started the semi in scintillating form and looked as if she was going to steamroller Vondrousova in the same manner as she had dispatched Sloane Stephens in the last eight.

But the Czech 19-year-old rallied and forced Konta into longer rallies, snatching the first set before taking the second to a tie break.

A remarkable passing shot to put the youngster 5-2 proved the winning moment, as Konta succumbed to a 5-7 6-7 loss.

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Vondrousova will meet Ash Barty, a three-set winner over Amanda Anisimova, in the final at Roland Garros.

Konta had not won a match on the clay of Roland Garros prior to the 2019 tournament, but the Brit's run into the second week saw her play some superb clay-court tennis, none more so than in her demolition of 2018 finalist Stephens in the quarter-finals.

However, Konta's game hinged largely on power winners, a strong service game, and cutting rallies short, and after an initial adjustment Vondrousova managed to pull the British number one out of her comfort zone and force her into longer rallies.

Tasked with forcing winners off and attempting numerous poor drop-shots, Konta struggled to dominate her Czech opponent and soon lost an early 3-1 lead.

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The 28-year-old did manage to limit the damage in the second set and take it to a tie-break, but the different level of the two players in that breaker was clear for all in the far-from-full crowd on the Simonne Mathieu court to see.

Despite defeat, Konta will take great confidence from her run in Paris heading into the grass season.

[Eurosport is the only place to see Jo Konta in action in all three of the grasscourt tournaments leading up to Wimbledon]

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