Week 20 - WTA Premier 5 ($3.45M) - Rome, Italy (Clay)

Samson · Lower Club Player

Week 20 - WTA Premier 5 ($3.45M) - Rome, Italy (Clay)

Sim · County player

Unbelievable JoKo into a major clay court final. Never thought we would see that. Congratulations and good luck for tomorrow.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

ROSAMUND wrote:
seagull wrote:
Draw really opened up. Just has to beat Stephens, Venus, Halep and Osaka to get to final now!
I don't think that's going to happen somehow or other. Before we go any further Sloane Stephens is after all the runner up in Paris in 2018 and could easily have been champion.,

Didn't watch the match but overjoyed that Jo has reached the final. This was my comment beforehand and as with my comment before Rabat I was proved greatly wrong. However better to under-rate chances of doing well rather than over-rate them as often happens. Virginia Wade was our last female finalist in Rome in 1971, only 48 years ago. Even Sue Barker in her clay court prime in 1976 never managed that.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Very pleased for her. Not something I ever expected to see!

Status Quo · Intermediate Club Player

Just got in and.. WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON???

Unbelievable! (Almost, quite literally!)
Fantastic

Holy wotsit this is amazing. Well done Johanna

dougie · Club Coach

What a great win from Konta. Always nervous watching her close it out especially when serving it out at she was taken to deuce from 40-0 up.

Backhand is a great weapon. Drop shot adds some great variety and breaks up opponents rhythm. Forehand is very solid as is the serve.

Vastly improved Jo from last year and striking the ball with more confidence than I've seen in a while. She does not give up.

Bertens definitely didn't look at her best, most likely some fatigue given the amount of matches she has played of late.

Kiki was also lucky not to get defaulted during the 3rd set when she seem to throw the racket, rather than just losing grip, which ended up hitting a line judge.

Looking forward to see what she can do in the final.

-- Edited by dougie on Saturday 18th of May 2019 04:08:36 PM

-- Edited by dougie on Saturday 18th of May 2019 07:45:02 PM

Status Quo · Intermediate Club Player

As it stands now, post-Rome, a plurality of Jo's points will come from clay (47.06%)
Should she win the title here, or even a single round at Roland Garros, it will be an outright majority!

Jajon · Club Coach

Jheeze, what a pleasant surprise ! Didnt see this coming when she was down match points against Wang in Rabat I must say. Hope she gets a kind draw in Paris and can scramble to the third/fourth round there

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Pliskova has just beaten Sakkari 6-4 6-4, so now Rabat rematch for Jo. Pliskova will jump to #2 if she wins.

JonH · All-time great

Status Quo wrote:
As it stands now, post-Rome, a plurality of Jo's points will come from clay (47.06%)
Should she win the title here, or even a single round at Roland Garros, it will be an outright majority!

A win will also take her to top 10 in the wta race, I didn't see that on the cards. 13th as of today

Jan · Hall of fame

Amazing! Have been out all day but managed to check the result. What a run she is having!!!!

Status Quo · Intermediate Club Player

Good post-match presser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZBSi5v4N6g
(It's YouTube, so you may well be served an ad prior to the video playing)

Seems very phlegmatic, and in a rather good all round state of mind.

flamingowings · All-time great

F: KONTA, Johanna (GBR) 42 vs (4) Karolina Pliskova (CZE) WR 4 (CH = 1)

H2H is 1-5. Jo has only beaten Pliskova in Bejing in 2016.

-- Edited by flamingowings on Saturday 18th of May 2019 06:24:49 PM

flamingowings · All-time great

Bertens' coach:

Raemon Sluiter
Verified account @raemonsluiter

Congrats to @JohannaKonta, great play today. Good luck in the final! #WTARoma
10:29 AM - 18 May 2019

ROSAMUND · Futures level

They have only met once before on a clay court and that was a 25k. event in Prerov in May 2011. Early stage of both careers in which Pliskova won 6-2 7-6. Two other well known players who also played there were Elina Svitolina and Aleksandra Krunic.