Johanna Konta into world top 10 after reaching China Open final

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British number one Johanna Konta
Johanna Konta will face Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the final

British number one Johanna Konta moved into the world top 10 after reaching the final of the China Open by beating Madison Keys 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-4.

The 25-year-old took the first set after a tie-break before American eighth seed Keys fought back in a semi-final lasting two hours, 35 minutes.

The 11th seed will now face Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the final on Sunday.

The last British woman to make the world's top 10 was Jo Durie in 1984.

"It's really special, I feel very blessed to be coming back for the final," said Konta after a hard-earned victory in Beijing on Saturday.

Britain also has a finalist in the men's event, after world number two Andy Murray beat Spain's David Ferrer in straight sets.

Konta was ranked 146th in the world as recently as June 2015.

She is only the fourth British woman to make the top 10 since the WTA rankings began in 1975 - after Durie, Virginia Wade and Sue Barker.

Konta led 4-2 in the first set before losing three games in a row. She rallied to take the opening set on a tie-break before unravelling in the second as Keys took the tie into a third set.

Keys broke in the first game but Konta immediately responded before going on to secure a place in Sunday's final.

Analysis - Konta belongs there

Former British number one Jo Durie speaking to BBC Radio 5 live

It really is a terrific accomplishment. To get into the top 10 you need to be consistent week after week on the tour.

It will give Konta better seeding at Grand Slams and other players will be very wary of her. She has been proving she can beat those in the top 10, that she belongs there and she is a player to watch out for.

You have a greater aura and take it onto the court. The only thing, which can sometimes be a negative, is the lower-ranked players are now gunning for you and seem to play their best against you.

It has all happened in last 15 months for Jo Konta. She has gone from 150 to the top 10. It is amazing. Next year she goes straight into the Australian Open where she got to the semi-final. She is very good at keeping in the moment, focussing on herself and it is literally point by point with her.

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154 comments

  • Comment posted by Robert Jones, at 14:24 8 Oct 2016

    Well done, racists. You came out of a vagina on British soil. Konta, on the other hand, chose to live here, integrated both constitutionally and culturally, and represents us on the international stage with dignity and pride. Whereas you idiots choose to vilify success rather than showing a bit of grace and common sense.

  • Comment posted by thegoodthebadandtheugly, at 14:15 8 Oct 2016

    She is a British citizen and chose us! Yes she has Hungarian and Australian citizenship too. She came here aged 14 and not just for convenience and has spent more time in the UK than any other country. Support her or go away! lol

  • Comment posted by OneTimeTory, at 14:04 8 Oct 2016

    Very well done, Johanna Konta. Great to have someone reaching the world's top 10 in women's tennis after 32 years!!

    Best of luck for the final

  • Comment posted by NeilB73, at 14:24 8 Oct 2016

    It has been way too long since we have seen a British woman in the top 10 of the WTA rankings. I really hope we see her there for a long time to come as well. Congratulations on getting to the final very well deserved.

  • Comment posted by pip, at 14:02 8 Oct 2016

    A fantastic run, but not surprising. Our girl's been consistently brilliant for over 12 months. Well done, but don't stop at top ten!

  • Comment posted by Dorsetdave, at 14:21 8 Oct 2016

    Well played Johanna. Brilliant tennis and good luck for the final.

  • Comment posted by nedsram, at 14:34 8 Oct 2016

    We have (or had) many tennis players of non-British descent. As well as the late lamented Baltacha, there are Rusedski, Keothavong and Bedene. And Heather Watson's mother originally came from Papua New Guinea. Let's concentrate on their tennis rather than where they originated. Many of us originated from France or Scandinavia, so most of us are actually of "foreign" descent. Well done Jo!

  • Comment posted by Bev, at 14:15 8 Oct 2016

    @6 Keith - There's always one who has to make a snide 'nationality' comment; you probably do the same thing regrading Andy Murray. 3 points: (a) she was born to Hungarian parents IN Australia so she has triple nationality (proud Hungarians?), (b) If she chooses to play for Britain then it's her choice and (c) she deserves all the plaudits she's getting for her amazing rise through the rankings.

  • Comment posted by JonoWith, at 14:27 8 Oct 2016

    Well done Konta!

  • Comment posted by Hugo, at 14:05 8 Oct 2016

    Much needed for British women's tennis. It's been too long.
    Hopefully she can break top 8 and get to the Tour Final. She's done brilliantly to move so far up the rankings in such a short time.

    Fingers crossed she can win in China.

  • Comment posted by U15690032, at 19:34 8 Oct 2016

    How to be British

    1. Whinge that we are rubbish at sport

    2. When we do get sports(wo)men being successful

    a) attack their character eg Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton

    b) accuse them of not being British eg Johanna, Chris Froome

    Count me out: I'm too busy cheering them all on

  • Comment posted by Alex, at 23:28 8 Oct 2016

    Konta chooses to represent Britain as it was her time here that made her the player she is today, not in Australia. It is a shame however that although our country continues to nurture world class athletes, we'll always get the bitter unambitious layabouts on BBC HYS stewing over people's heritage. #GetInspired

  • Comment posted by Chris Nicol, at 18:19 8 Oct 2016

    There seems to be an overemphasis on her heritage. She has been living in the UK since she was 14 and has been based here for her whole professional tennis career, she is a British as anyone else. That her parents were Hungarian and that she lived in Australia as a child are both irrelevant. She has a UK passport, they don't come is different classes.

  • Comment posted by Alan, at 14:01 8 Oct 2016

    Well done Johanna!
    You make a great role model for my granddaughters!

  • Comment posted by Dirtpile, at 14:00 8 Oct 2016

    Well done Jo - great stuff. Good luck in the final!

  • Comment posted by colleen, at 23:27 8 Oct 2016

    Any player would be proud to do what Jo has done in the last 16 months or so. She's proved this year she belongs with the best. Well done.

    Moderators -The nationality stuff is so repetitive and boring. Can't you put a filter on so those of us who don't want to read that rubbish can just screen it out? Personally I'm only interested in informed contributions from genuine sports fans.

  • Comment posted by David Horton, at 19:56 8 Oct 2016

    I've stood next to a guy whose parents were from West Africa who had a tear in his eye as the union flag was hauled up every morning. Your birth location & circumstance are irrelevance. If you feel proud to be British then you are as British as I am.
    Well done Johanna, I'm proud of you.

  • Comment posted by corpachbay, at 15:35 8 Oct 2016

    I don't care about her nationality, I simply admire her tennis. She belongs at the top, late arriving, but long may she stay.

  • Comment posted by James Y, at 14:34 8 Oct 2016

    Keith, Moggs, Golden Bear (6, 8 and 12). The story here is that a tennis player is doing well, and she represents the UK while doing so. If that offends you then that's your problem. All the normal people will just enjoy the story, enjoy the tennis and laugh at miserable, lonely, bitter little people such as yourselves.

  • Comment posted by ooh Save it for Bingo, at 14:33 8 Oct 2016

    @6,keith,
    @8,Moggs,
    @12,Golden Bear,

    So By your templates,-Peter Andre is British, Nicole Kidman is American, Olivia Newton John is English, Cliff Richard is Indian,
    We are now at the stage where people can take on Citizenship and rightly so, she has stated that she is proud to play under British Flag and I am proud of her, I thought she would lose to Madison Keys, She can get close to top!.

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