Konta into quarter-finals of Aussie Open after epic battle with Makarova

Konta served for the match at 5-4 in the third but Makarova made her work hard for victory. The Sydney-born Brit – who has been one of the surprise packages of the tournament – responded to her early setback by taking the second 6-4.

But, as is frequently true in the women’s match, the deck chairs rather fast began sliding the other way and Konta collected her recently forged powers of attention to break in the beginning of the second.

In a fluctuating final set Konta broke to lead 5-4 and serve for the match but she squandered her service game before breaking again for a 7-6 lead and this time holding her serve, and her nerve, to see out the match. I left it all out here on court.

“I tried to hang in there and just run after every ball and keep fighting”.

“I’m going to eat and sleep, eat and sleep and repeat”, the 24-year-old added of her quarter-final against either American youngster Madison Keys or Zhang Shuai.

1 is through to the last-eight of the Australian Open after beating Ekaterina Makarova in three sets.

The last British women to play in the quarter fianls of a Grand Slam was Jo Durie at Wimbledon in 1984. The 29-year-old left-hander and his Brazilian partner Bruno Soares picked up their third consecutive straight-sets win, overcoming Dominic Inglot and Sweden’s Robert Lindstedt in impressive style (6-3 6-4).