British number one Johanna Konta battled past Kiki Bertens 5-7 7-5 6-2 to reach the final of the Italian Open in Rome. Konta, who turned 28 on Friday, recovered after losing the last three games of the opening set to continue her impressive clay-court form. In defeating Bertens, the tournament’s seventh seed, it was a first victory for Konta over a player ranked in the top five since beating Simona Halep at Wimbledon in 2017. Konta levelled the match following another close second set, securing a crucial break in the 11th game and then holding serve. She continued her momentum into the decider, pushing 5-2 ahead before needing four match points to eventually secure a spot in the final with a big serve.

Source: Irish Examiner May 18, 2019 14:15 UTC