Johanna Konta has become the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final since 1984 after sealing a 4-6 6-4 8-6 win over Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Both players started aggressively, but it was Konta who managed to break serve first before battling to a 3-2 lead.
A break point was created in the opening six games of the contest, and Makarova's attacking approach paid off when she broke back to draw level on 3-3.
The vital moment came four games later when Makarova snatched serve once again to take a one-set lead, but she failed to keep the momentum as Konta broke for the first time of asking in the second set.
Only one additional break point was created throughout the entire set as the Brit forced the contest into a decider.
It was a tense affair as games went by the way of serve until the ninth game when Konta snatched serve to take a crucial 5-4 lead, but she squandered the opportunity to gain set point as Makarova broke back.
All was not lost, though, as Konta managed to break to edge ahead 7-6 before holding for set point.
Danielle Joynson
