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Women’s Tennis Konta praises Dabrowski for ‘tough’ test

JOHANNA KONTA was adamant that her victory over Gabriela Dabrowski today was tougher than it looked despite cruising into the last 16 at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

The British No 1 breezed past Canada’s Dabrowski 6-2 6-0, winning 10 straight games.

She won in just 65 minutes and did not face a break point in the match but the 27-year-old said she did not have it all her own way.

“It was a tough match, the scoreline didn’t show the quality of it,” Konta said.

“She definitely played really well in parts and I had to really raise my level to come through that.

“I had to be tough out there. She was playing some great tennis. I had to focus on every single point and accept she was going to play some good tennis.

“I thought it was an entertaining match, and I’m looking forward to playing another one here.”

Konta will play either 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens or Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the last 16.

Konta has struggled for form this year and now sits 43rd in the world after a career-high mark of number four in 2017.

She was knocked out of the US Open in the first round by Caroline Garcia last month but will face the Frenchwoman again in the quarter-finals in Tokyo if they both progress from the last 16.

Konta was dominant in her opening match in Japan though and never looked back after breaking Dabrowski for the first time in the sixth game.

It sparked her match-winning streak as she held her own serve before breaking Dabrowski again, cashing in on her second set point to take it 6-2.

Konta, who never dropped serve, raced into a 5-0 lead in the second set, breaking her opponent twice.

She then converted her fourth match point, breaking Dabrowski for a third time in the set, to take the win.

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