Tennis: Konta Crushes Home Favourite In Beijing Quarters

BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 07th Oct, 2016 ) - Johanna Konta crushed home hero Zhang Shuai in two sets in the China Open quarter-finals Friday as Andy Murray and David Ferrer offered tough lessons to their younger opponents.

Buoyed by the home crowd, Zhang broke the Briton twice to take the opening four points of the match. But at 0-4 down, Konta abruptly turned the tide in her favour winning 12 consecutive points to book her semi-final place with a 6-4, 6-0 victory.

The fourteenth-ranked Briton is now one win away from joining the ranks of the top 10, which would make her the first British woman to join the elite grouping since Jo Durie in 1984.

Konta next faces American Madison Keys, who ended Petra Kvitova's eight-match winning streak in an epic two-tie break victory, 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/5).

Meanwhile, Murray beat Davis Cup teammate Kyle Edmund and Ferrer dispatched German youngster Alexander Zverev to set up a semi-final face-off. The three-time Grand Slam champion was forced into a tense 20-point tie break in the first set by his 21-year-old compatriot, finally clinching it with a forehand passing shot.