Johanna Konta keeps alive her Olympic dream and progresses to quarter-finals, while Andy Murray surges into last 16
British No1 Johanna Konta followed the lead of team-mate Andy Murray and kept her Olympic dream alive with victory over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Rio tennis singles.
Konta progressed to the quarter-finals after navigating a dramatic three-hour contest against eighth seed Kuznetsova 3-6, 7-5, 7-5. The 25-year-old will now face her Australian Open semi-final conqueror Angelique Kerber in the last eight.
Olympic champion Murray surged into the last 16 after chalking up a comprehensive 6-3, 6-1 victory over Argentina’s Juan Monaco, taking his tally to 14 consecutive victories since losing the French Open final in June. Italy’s Fabio Fognini is his next opponent.
Andy Murray’s bother Jamie and Konta will be the only British representatives in the mixed doubles. Andy Murray and Heather Watson do not have a high enough combined doubles ranking to qualify.
“The plan was always that Jamie was going to play with Jo,” said Andy Murray. “Jamie is a way more experienced doubles player than me. And Jo is playing well so they will have the chance to win a medal.”
New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams, meanwhile, has been ruled out of the remainder of the Olympic Games after suffering an Achilles injury during the All Blacks’ shock 14-12 group-stage rugby sevens defeat to Japan.
The 31-year-old two-time World Cup winner was forced from the field two minutes into the second half as the gold medal favourites slumped to a huge upset in their Pool C opener against a team ranked 10th out of the 12 teams taking part.
Great Britain recorded victories over Kenya and Japan to move within striking distance of the quarter-finals, while New Zealand recovered from their initial setback to also beat the African nation.