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Johanna Konta won her match 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and Harriet Dart and Katie Swan won the doubles 6-1, 6-4.

 

Today it's GB v Hungary. Whichever country comes out top will go through to tomorrow's. GB will be favourites but Hungary is stronger than Slovenia or Greece. Timea Babos isn't in the Hungarian team and will improve GB's chances as she's the world number 1 in doubles.

El Loro

Although the doubles is pencilled in for Harriet Dart & Katie Swan, it's possible that if Johanna Konta were to lose her match then Katie Boulter could replace one of them in the doubles (presumably Katie Swan as her doubles ranking is 610 compared to Harriet Dart 109 though Katie's ranking isn't that much better at 442). Johanna Konta's doubles ranking is 110 though.

El Loro

The format of the playoffs during the weekend is two singles on Saturday. Then on Sunday, the two reverse singles though if one country wins both Saturday's singles and the first reverse singles on Sunday the second reverse singles isn't played. The doubles match is after these and gets played whether ot not it's a deciding match.

 

GB's singles players are likely to be Johanna Konta and Katie Boulter, Kazakshtan's Yulia Putintseva and Zarina Diyas. The doubles players could depend as to whether it's a deciding or dead match. Heather Watson is GB's strongest doubles player, Harriet Dart and Johanna Konta fairly close to each other in doubles rankings. Kazakhstan's doubles players probably Anna Danilina and Galina Voskoboeva (who is a doubles specialist and on a par with Heather Watson).

El Loro

The Fed Cup schedule for the weekend is as I expected.
Today the first singles is Johanna Konta v Zarina Diyas and the second is Katie Boulter v Yulia Putintseva (the toughest match of the weekend for GB).
Tomorrow it's Johanna Konta v Yulia Putintseva followed potentially by Katie Boulter v Zarina Diyas.
The last match is the doubles Heather Watson & Harriet Dart v Anna Danilina & Galina Voskoboeva.

 

Start times are 13.30 today and 12.00 tomorrow.

El Loro

Johanna Konta lost that final. She's through to the second round of the Italian Open.

 

Katie Boulter is currently out of action with a back injury and has already withdrawn from the French Open.

 

Heather Watson has been playing in the second tier tournaments in Japan. Lost in the first round in Gifu but has done a lot better in her latest tournament in Japan winning both the singles and doubles titles, This means that she's now just ahead of Katie Boulter in the singles rankings and remains the highest ranked British player in the doubles at 57.

El Loro

Johanna Konta has beaten Sloane Stephens (the world number 8) in the second round of the Italian Open - she next faces Venus Williams. Rain wiped out play yesterday meaning that today is a double schedule with that next match due to be played some time later today which benefits Venus who played her second round match on Tuesday.

El Loro

After the Grand Slam events and the Premier Mandatory events, the Italian Open is one of the events just below those. At that level of event, Johanna Konta's run of wins at that tournament is the best by any British player for a long time (best so far this year and throughout 2018). So her ranking has already improved to around 32 once the next set's issued.

El Loro
Last edited by El Loro

And today even better, Johanna Konta has beaten Kiki Bertens, the world number 4, in 3 sets to get to the final. Her ranking improves to around 26 (if she were to win the final around 21).

 

It's the first time since Wimbledon 2017 that Johanna Konta has beaten a player in the top 5. It's also the first time that a British woman has got through to the Italian final since Virginia Wade in 1971.

El Loro
Last edited by El Loro

The French Open qualifying rounds at Roland Garros are from today to Friday.  12 groups of 8 over 3 rounds with the winner of each group through to the main draw. British players are Heather Watson and Katie Swan. Their first round matches look as if they are played tomorrow. Johanna Konta is one of the seeds in the main draw.

El Loro

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