Johanna Konta has had a difficult 2018. She has only reached one final all year and has not made it past the 2nd round of any of the Grand Slams.
The Brit, 27, has only won 29 matches this season (compared to 52, 46 and 40 in the last three years) and she has lost 22. It is her worst win-loss record since 2014 and it has caused her to slide down the rankings to World No.44.
Given these results, it came as no surprise to anyone when Konta split with Coach Michael Joyce last week. She is working with Stan Wawrinka’s former Coach Dmitri Zavialoff on a trial basis in Moscow.
The Brit began her new partnership in style in the first round of the Kremlin Cup as she beat 7th seed Elise Mertens 6-3 7-5.
Konta broke the Belgian in the third game of the match to assert her authority early on, and then broke again to seal the opener 6-3.
The second set was more difficult for the Brit, as Mertens managed to break her serve in the first game and move into a 2-0 lead.
But Konta was in the mood to fight, and she hit back in the eighth game before sealing victory with a love break when she was leading 6-5.
It was a typically aggressive display from the Brit as she hit 28 winners and took Mertens’ second serve apart. She also served very well and rarely faced a threat when she started the points.
In the second round, Konta will face either Daria Gavrilova or lucky loser Vitalia Diatchenko, and she will be hoping to continue from where she left off in round one as she seeks to end a tumultuous season on a high.
Mladenovic grabs easy win
Elsewhere in Moscow, Kristina Mladenovic booked her place in the second round for the fourth year in a row with an emphatic 6-1 6-3 victory over wild card Anna Kalinskaya.
The Frenchwoman, 25, dominated from start to finish and hit 24 winners as she wrapped up the match in just 70 minutes. She faces a tough test against 8th seed Anett Kontaveit in the last 16.
