Johanna Konta sees Rome Masters run ended by Misaki Doi

Disappointing end to tournament for Briton

Johanna Konta competing at the Rome Masters (Getty)

The court and the result could hardly have been more different to the scene 24 hours earlier as Johanna Konta’s tournament ended here in disappointing fashion. One day after recording one of the best wins of her career when she brushed aside Robert Vinci in the main stadium at the Foro Italico, Konta was beaten 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 by Misaki Doi, a 25-year-old Japanese ranked 22 places lower than the Briton at No 45 in the world, on one of the outside courts.

Court One is as far away from the magnificent centre court arena as you can get. It sits almost in the shadow of the adjoining Olympic stadium, at the far end of the site. There is space for just a few hundred spectators, who sit on terracing around the sunken court. A low fence separates it from Court Two, which inevitably leads to some rallies being halted as stray balls interrupt play.

After overnight rain the weather was cooler than on previous days, but it was still very bright, with the trees around the court providing dappled shade. There was also a gusting wind that occasionally whipped up clouds of clay from the adjoining court.

Konta had won all three of her previous meetings with Doi. At just 5ft 3in tall and weighing less than 9 stone the left-handed Japanese does not pack a huge punch, though she is an impressive shot-maker and a fine athlete.

For three games, nevertheless, it seemed that Konta would carry on where she had left off against Vinci 24 hours earlier. Within 13 minutes the Briton was 3-0 up, but Doi quickly fought her way back into contention and retrieved one break before losing the first set 6-4.

Konta broke again in the opening game of the second set, only for Doi to take the next four games in succession. Doi was unable to serve out for the set at 5-3 and failed to take three set points in the following game. However, when Konta served at 5-6 the Japanese finally converted her sixth set point to level the match.

Doi continued to set the pace in the decider and made a crucial break of serve to go 4-2 up. Two games later she broke Konta for the seventh time to secure a hard-fought victory after two hours and 21 minutes.

“She played very, very well today,” Konta said afterwards. “She moved the ball around the way she wanted to and I didn't do a good enough job of getting her out of her comfort zone.

“I definitely fought my hardest. I don't think I could have done more today. I think I played with the cards I had, but I have a lot to take from it, to improve on and just try to get better. I'm most disappointed obviously that I'm not being able to give myself a chance to play tomorrow just to keep improving.”

Having made a slow start to her clay-court campaign, Konta will head for the French Open, which starts in 10 days’ time, with just five matches on clay under her belt. Did she feel that was enough going into Roland Garros? “I'm going to take the most out of these five matches that I have played,” she said. “I'm grateful for every single one of them.

“Obviously I always strive to give myself more opportunities, but I'm very happy with the level I was playing here this week in general. I think there are a lot of good things to take from it.”

Serena Williams, who is playing her first tournament of the clay-court season, was pushed hard in the opening set by her fellow American, Christina McHale, before winning 7-6, 6-1. She now faces a heavyweight quarter-final showdown with Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Daria Gavrilova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.