WTA

Konta moves into semi-finals, Mladenovic beaten by Zhang

By Sports Desk June 11, 2021

Johanna Konta emerged triumphant from a tough test against Alison Van Uytvanck to move within two matches of Nottingham Open glory.

Home hope Konta has made the final of this event on two previous occasions but is yet to win it and she will face Nina Stojanovic in the last four as part of her latest attempt at glory.

Number one seed Konta won 6-3 7-6 (8-6) against Belgium's Van Uytvanck, who was seeded eighth for the tournament, on Friday.

Konta served well, winning 80 per cent of her first-serve points and conceding only two break points over the course of the 96-minute contest.

There were no breaks from either player in a tense second set and the Briton must have been concerned after letting three match points slip away in the tie-break before ultimately converting her fourth.

Konta split from her coach after a dreadful first-round loss at the French Open but now meets Stojanovic - who beat Tereza Martincova 6-2 6-4 - with a ninth WTA final in her sights.

On the other side of the draw, Kristina Mladenovic saw her campaign come to an end after losing an entertaining battle with Zhang Shuai that lasted two hours and 22 minutes.

Chinese fourth seed Zhang came from behind to win 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4), forcing 17 break points in the match as she never let Mladenovic settle.

Zhang will face Lauren Davis in the semi-finals, after the American's British opponent Katie Boulter retired early in the second set of their early-evening clash.

Boulter had edged the opener 7-6 (8-6) and was a break down at 0-2 in the next when she pulled out due to an injury worry.

Davis had earlier reached that quarter-final match by finishing off a three-set win over second seed Alison Riske, winning the decider 6-4 as the match was completed.

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