Johanna Konta reached an essential point in her career on the All England Club Wednesday afternoon. The 25-year old battled back weather, delays and Puerto Rico's Monica Puig to win her first match at Wimbledon 6-1, 7-5 on Court One.
The two had met one time with the Brit winning a frightening match up against the strong serve of Puig in three sets a year ago at Nottingham. Both made it towards the semifinals at Eastbourne using what they both thought would have been a finals appearance between each other. That would not come to light with one losing quickly along with the other doing it her all until it turned out too late. The 25-year-old world no. 19 really has her home country behind her and needed to have one additional run on grass while she still were required to play with it under her feet.
She began using a strong break of Puig before holding serve from the second gaining a beginning lead. A lot of work went into her early lead delaying the Puerto Rican who has been herself looking for on the board. It looks like a hopeless cause as Konta kept Puig scoreless through four coasting by hand skills. She allowed herself being taken to get a game as Puig ended the drought winning by herself serve before watching Konta speed to your 5-1 lead.
Wasting no further time, the high ranking Brit pushed to win the set by the single set point completing a 23 minute set. Konta served at 85 percent while using first serve being the workhorse of her success. She was the higher quality on break points and committed just four unforced errors altogether.
Puig knew that her numbers in the set needed to become better playing and proved it by holding serve on Konta to get started on the second set. The Brit went ahead about the score and took the lead over a break prior to the rain started pour down locating a halt towards the match. When play resumed the very next day, Puig won upon an unforced error in the Brit leveling the set at two all. The Puerto Rican took a 2 game bring success Konta before she surely could respond and level back through eight.
With a hurry to get rid of the rain for the second time, the Eastbourne native rushed throughout the ninth playing hard for that win along with a 5-4 bring about play to the match. The tenth was obviously a real struggle for your players like a light rain poured down with officials not prepared to suspend it. In the end Puig held serve throughout the game forcing Konta to try and do more to win the match. She started it along with her fourth ace against Puig before scoring manboobs leading 40-0. Though she allowed two points, she were able to gain back control and would try to complete it a second time within the return.
Unforced errors about the count of Puig got Konta into position she wanted then when the time was right, the Brit handled it to win the break point plus the match in sixty minutes and 14 minutes. 'It became a tricky first round because she was play so well for the grass,' Konta said about Puig following match. 'I really knew that I were forced to be there every point the top that I could and also the conditions didn't make it easier to the both of us. 'Coming back the following day we still had obstacles and I'm pleased that I might stay focused as I did and really not panic not rush and merely kept playing.'
With her match finally completed, she'll enjoy some time off and await the winner between Magdalena Rybarikova and Eugenie Bouchard.