Johanna Konta eases past Denisa Allertova to march on at Australian Open

It was the third year in succession she had failed to make the main draw at the Australian Open.

Johanna Konta has become the first British woman to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open in 29 years with her victory over Denisa Allertova.

Konta described Makarova, her next opponent, as “an incredibly good player”.

Davis said she needed an energy boost because she hadn’t had lunch before the match. “I just wanted to push the envelope again, just bring pop culture to tennis, kind of make it really fun”.

Konta is also the first British woman to reach the fourth round since Durie and Anne Hobbs did it in 1987, more than four years before Konta was even born.

“It’s not something I ever aimed for or looked for, but when it happens, it’s very special”.

At last year’s U.S. Open she beat Garbine Muguruza, who was coming off a run to the final at Wimbledon, and has also had wins in 2015 over No. 2 Simona Halep and two-time Australian Open victor Victoria Azarenka.

“I don’t know. I’m just very grateful for all the people who do come out”.

Other players with more tenuous links have been “adopted”, including Belgian four-times grand slam champion Kim Clijsters, who was affectionately known as “Aussie Kim” due to her relationship with local champion Lleyton Hewitt. “She beat Venus in the first round (here)”.

“She has a great forehand up the line”, Williams said of Gasparyan.

– Dasha wears on her heart on her sleeve: “You don’t want to be in my head”, she said laughing, as reporters asked her about her thought process during matches. In the fourth round she will face Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova, who reached the semi-finals here 12 months ago and the quarter-finals in 2012 and 2013.

Cutest thing I’ve seen today: Daria Kasatkina’s face when she mentions Nadal’s loss yesterday.

Put under pressure for the first time all week, Djokovic displayed the composure only a double-digit Grand Slam champion can – and was clearly relieved to have kept a clean sheet, so to speak, pumping his chest and yelling in ecstasy.

“I’m feeling pretty good – it’s incredible what adrenaline does”, said Konta.

– Arantxa, what side are you on?: If you spotted Arantxa Sanchez Vicario courtside during the second round match between Carla Suárez Navarro and Maria Sakkari, you probably thought she was there cheering on her compatriot.

Kasatkina managed to get on the scoreboard in holding serve for 1-3 but she had no answers to Williams’ serve as she rattled through the set in just 22 minutes. I strive to get better and better in understanding how the world works.

In other third-round clashes, fourth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska played through pain to win in straight sets to book a date with Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam.