Johanna Konta looking forward not back after quarterfinal run

30 September 2016 11:08

British number one Johanna Konta is not viewing her week at the Wuhan Open as a missed opportunity.

The 25-year-old made it to the quarter-finals in central China, matching her run last year, but missed the chance to strengthen her position in the race for WTA Finals qualification and also a debut spot in the top 10.

Had she beaten Petra Kvitova in her last-eight tie on Thursday she would have put herself one win away from eighth place in the Road to Singapore - where the best eight players over the year all compete - and would have become the first British woman to conquer the top 10 of the main rankings since 1984.

However, she was overpowered by the big-hitting Czech and now heads to Beijing for the China Open, where another opportunity to achieve those two feats presents itself.

And as always, Konta is looking forward, not back.

"In terms of rankings, rankings come and go. I don't play tennis for my ranking," she said. "I play it because I love the sport and I want to be the best that I can be at it.

"I'm just competing in the events that I'm in at the moment. This week I was just here in Wuhan. I'm not thinking about what will come. A lot of those things are actually not all under my control. It also depends on how other players do. There's not much point for me to really look at it.

"So now I'm going to be in Beijing and I'm going to try to do the best that I can.

"There is a fair lot of tennis to still be played. I'm first of all happy that I stayed healthy this week.

"Again, I played a number of good matches. So I have some good tennis under my belt going into Beijing."

Even if Konta refuses to look at the rankings, her opponents do not and Kvitova reckons the Brit has what it takes to be a consistent top-10 player.

"Well, I think that she has the quality, for sure," she told Press Association Sport. "I mean, she's a very consistent player.

"I think she really can be very good ranking-wise. I'm not too sure how the top-10 girls are really playing, but I think that she really has a quality to be one of the top-10 players."

Konta will have her work cut out in Beijing, though, after being drawn against Anastasija Sevastova in the first round. The Latvian knocked Konta out of the US Open fourth round earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Heather Watson's spell with new coach John-Laffnie de Jager started with defeat.

The British number two, who has been suffering with a gastrointestinal infection this week, lost 6-4 6-4 to Czech Lucie Hradecka who ranks 121 places below Watson.

Source: PA