But with red-hot Jo Konta stunning 18th seed Andrea Petkovic on Saturday to set up a fourth round clash with former Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova today, there is still double the excitement for British fans.
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Early in the second set, Petkovic took a medical time-out to have her blood pressure tested and after the match confirmed she was suffering from a cold and flu.
Up 5-1 and serving for the match, Konta could not put away Petkovic at first opportunity as the German broke and held serve.
As her second-round match against Garbine Muguruza on a hot Thursday afternoon dragged on, Johanna Konta caught herself glancing at the courtside clock. “But after that emotional “high” it’s a bit tough to start over again from scratch”, she acknowledged.
“It was undoubtedly robust as a result of even when she shouldn’t be feeling at her greatest she continues to be the most effective rivals on the tour”, Konta informed the on-court interviewer.
“I’ve never played her so it’s going to be something new”, said the Czech.
Then at the U.S. Open, she beat Tímea Babos of Hungary for her only Grand Slam win until this week.
Murray’s latest win was a much needed routine victory following two lung-busting opening matches. Stosur has the serve, physicality, an all-round game and David Taylor by her side to give Serena a run for her money and spoil her bid of equaling Steffi Graf’s 22 Grand Slam titles.
Lisicki will now play world No.2 Simona Halep, who brushed aside American Shelby Rogers 6-2 6-3. That said, another player did withdraw, as Jiri Vesely couldn’t complete his match against John Isner.
And those three wins in the Open have taken the 24-year-old English woman (born in Australia) to a place she hasn’t been before, a place that once might have been daunting, if not a tad frightening.
“It has been a progression throughout the year”, Konta said.
Muguruza was careless with her groundshots and wasteful with her serve but Konta spurned two set points and then handed the break back as the Spaniard forced a tie-break.
“I’m just happy that I get to come back next week and compete again against an extremely good player”.
Having completed her journey by way of the qualifying event with a troublesome three-setter towards the previous top-30 participant Tamira Paszek, Konta has now gained three matches in the primary draw with out dropping one other set.
It will be two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova’s third appearance in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, but she is 0-2 at that stage. I came on the court knowing that I could win the battle, but being humble enough to know she could beat me.
“I was playing Maria Sharapova, for one, but I was also on Centre Court at Wimbledon, and that was pretty special”, Konta said.
Revived, Petkovic swung momentum her way in a 10-minute seventh game, saving three match points and breaking on her fifth chance to pull within 5-2.
No 3 Andy Murray survived a second-round scare, coming back from two sets down to defeat Adrian Mannarino of France, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1, at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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Though Petkovic had treatment in the second set and admitted later she’s been struggling with a cold, the German was outplayed by Konta, who finally got over the line on her sixth match point.
