Twelve months ago Johanna Konta was merely a peripheral figure in the minds of British tennis fans, overshadowed by Heather Watson and Laura Robson. However, in the proceeding twelve months, she has gone on to achieve more in that time than the former have in their whole careers. Her dramatic rise reached its crescendo as she defeated former world number eight, Ekaterina Makarova, to become the first British woman this century to reach the quarter-finals of a grand slam.
Konta survives first set heartbreak to level
For a while it looked like Makarova's experience in the latter stages in grand slams would prove telling, especially having reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open only twelve months ago. At the same time, Johanna Konta had lost to Anna Tatishvilli in round one and Melbourne was already a distant memory.
As Makarova raced through the first set against a spirited Konta, it looked very much like the British woman was destined for the next flight home. In truth, the first set was a slug fest, lasting nearly one hour with both players trading break point opening like they were going out of fashion.
But it would be the Russian who would take the vital extra break towards the business end of the set, and yet to drop a set during the tournament, it looked for all the world like this would continue.
However, Johanna Konta has proven in the last twelve months that she can hit with just about anyone on her day, with wins over the likes of Garbine Muguruza at the US Open and Venus Williams in round one here. She would call upon all of her guts in a tense second set, which followed similar pattern to the first but only this time it would be Konta who would prevail.
Despite a blip, Konta holds her nerve to win
With the crowd looking despairingly sparse on the Hinsense Arena, the players produced a lengthy third set of the highest quality both hitting seventeen winners as it went the distance.
But, it would be Konta who suddenly looked the likeliest to win as she broke at 4-4 and found herself serving for her shot at the quarter finals. Hoping to become the first woman since Jo Durie in 1984 to reach such a pivotal stage in a grand slam, the pressure proved telling as Makarova raced to three break points before winning on her third.
One's money would certainly have been on the Russian going onto win the match, especially with Konta having to come from behind whenever she served. Her serve, for that matter, looking increasingly fragile.
However, in another twist to awaken the crowd from its late night slumber, Konta broke her opponent at 6-6 and then produced a game of the highest composure and calmness as she served out to love, Makarova sinking a return into the net, and Konta jumping to her feet in jubilation.
The Brits rise and success will be rewarded with a very winnable quarter final match-up with either the fifteenth seed, Madison Keys, or Shuai Zhang of China.
Result
Johanna Konta d. Ekaterina Makarova (21) 4-6 6-4 8-6