Konta comeback earns place in Rome Masters final

Johanna Konta came from a set down to beat Kiki Bertens and make it to the final of the Rome Masters.

The Rio 2016 Olympian lost the first set to the sixth-seeded Dutchwoman but showed her steel to bounce back and claim victory.

Bertens had been best-placed to make the final in Italy after winning the opener 7-5 but Konta came roaring back with a 7-5 win of her own in the second set.

And in the final set the British number one showed her dominance, breaking the Dutchwoman twice on her way to a 6-2 win.

Konta, who ended an eight-match winning streak for her opponent with her triumph, booked her place in her biggest final since winning the Miami Open in 2017.

She will face either Czech fourth-seed Karolina Pliskova or fellow unseeded player Maria Sakkari, from Greece.

The British player impressed on the clay in the Italian capital earlier this week by beating 10-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams in straight sets before going on to beat Czech Marketa Vondrousova in the quarters.

Sportsbeat 2019