Summary

  • Johanna Konta (GB) 4-6 6-3 5-7 Venus Williams (US)

  • Konta serves for match but beaten in Wuhan Open last eight

  • Briton had won 21 of her previous 22 matches

  1. Postpublished at 12:44

    *Konta 4-6 1-2 Williams

    Venus Williams breezes through her service game with a second love hold of the match. Nothing much Johanna Konta can do, with Williams brilliant on her first serve.

    Johanna KontaImage source, Getty Images
  2. Postpublished at 12:42

    Konta 4-6 1-1 Williams*

    Johanna Konta responds by storming 40-0 up. Can she hold? 

    Venus Williams claims two winners but Konta keeps her cool to take the next point and the game.

  3. Postpublished at 12:39

    *Konta 4-6 0-1 Williams

    It is initially a toe-to-toe battle as Johanna Konta keeps Venus Williams honest. Errors on serve don't help the American and a double fault that makes it 30-30 sees Williams look up to the roof and rolls her eyes. She knows she can do better.

    That she does as she forces Konta to send a forehand into the net hands Williams break point and another shot into the net gives Williams the first game.

  4. Game and first setpublished at 12:32

    Konta 4-6 Williams*

    A bad start for Johanna Konta as her second serve is returned and Konta subsequently finds the net with a forehand. The Brit then gifts a point to Williams with a lazy return wide.

    Konta gets up and running when a booming second serve is hit wide by Williams and then she superbly hooks a forehand out of the reach of her opponent. Aggressive tennis and it is 30-30. 

    Williams moves on to a set point as Konta's forehand is just wide but then a shot into the net after a rally makes it deuce. A double fault again hands the advantage to Williams, before Konta's forehand is wide and Williams takes the first set.

    Venus WilliamsImage source, Getty Images
  5. Konta breakspublished at 12:25

    *Konta 4-5 Williams

    A bad start for Venus Williams as she sweeps a forehand into the net before scooping a return wide. Three break back points for Konta, can she do it?

    Williams saves one with her first ace of the match but Konta sends Williams sprawling with a thumping return and we are back on serve. Great game from Konta!

  6. Postpublished at 12:23

    Konta 3-5 Williams*

    Johanna Konta's first serve has been letting her down but she puts it together in this game, ensuring her first three serves are in and she moves 40-15 ahead before taking the game and keeping herself in this set.

  7. Postpublished at 12:18

    *Konta 2-5 Williams

    Before Johanna Konta even has time to think, Venus Williams breezes through the seventh game, Konta failing to take a point as a brilliant backhand that finds the limits of the court hands the game to Venus and puts her within touching distance of taking the first set. 

    Venus WilliamsImage source, Getty Images
  8. Postpublished at 12:16

    Konta 2-4 Williams*

    This is as much a mental battle as it is a physical battle for Johanna Konta. Her serve, in particular, is really letting her down. First she sends a forehand wide from a Venus Williams return before a double fault puts the latter in control.

    Is she running out of fight? Not quite as she responds superbly, winning the next three points and, although Williams gets to deuce, Konta digs into make it 4-2.

  9. Postpublished at 12:10

    *Konta 1-4 Williams

    Mistakes from both players characterise this game as Venus Williams initially fails to build on a brilliant instinctive return at the net. 

    Johanna Konta has break point at 40-30 but two winners from Venus and she is closing in on taking the first set.

  10. Williams breakspublished at 12:06

    Konta 1-3 Williams*

    Johanna Konta starts with a double fault. She has had a couple of those already. A forehand into the net and then a strong return down the line and Venus Williams has four break points. Konta then hits long and that good work from the third set is undone.

    Johanna KontaImage source, Getty Images
  11. Konta breakspublished at 12:02

    *Konta 1-2 Williams

    How old is Venus Williams? 35, that's how old, but you wouldn't know it given how well she glides across the court. She has Johanna Konta frustrated as she keeps reaching the limits of the court and keeps Konta working. 

    Konta, though, digs in and shows a bit of the fight from yesterday to battle back from 30-0 down to 30-40 up. Break point but a fierce backhand from Williams makes it deuce. 

    Konta, though, holds her nerve and takes the next two points. She has broken back.

  12. Williams breakspublished at 11:56

    Konta 0-2 Williams*

    Double fault on Johanna Konta's first serve before she loops a return high and it is easy pickings for Venus Williams, who slaps a forehand beyond Konta's right. Another winner for Venus and she has three break points.

    Venus sends a return wide and then a winner for Konta makes it 40-30 to the former world number one, who then closes the net superbly to take the game. 

    Konta is in a little bit of trouble early on.

  13. Postpublished at 11:50

    *Konta 0-1 Williams (* denotes next to serve)

    Confident start by Johanna Konta, winning the first point with a cross court forehand, before Venus Williams overhits a return to put Konta 30-0 up. 

    Venus takes the next point but then Konta gets up to the net to thump a forehand out of Venus' reach. Break point. Can she break Venus here?

    Venus gets back to deuce and a bit of tug-of-war ensues but Venus saves four break points and Konta hits a return wide to hand the first game to her opponent.

  14. Postpublished at 11:43

    OK then. Here we go. Can Johanna Konta create another upset?

    Venus Williams to serve first.

  15. Postpublished at 11:40

    There's some pretty funky electric guitar action going on that, with the roof closed at the stadium, is making the whole arena sound like a montage sequence from Top Gun. Not packed out by any means, with a fair few empty seats in the upper tiers.

  16. Postpublished at 11:36

    Both players enter the arena, mists of dry ice swirling around them as they do. 

    Johanna Konta certainly looks calm as the two go through their warm-ups, flashing Venus Williams a little smile as they knock the ball to each other.

  17. Get involved #bbctennispublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 1 October 2015

    Tennis' biggest rising star?

    What do you think then? Is Johanna Konta one of the biggest rising stars in tennis? 

    Get involved via #bbctennis,, external text in on 81111 (UK only) and feel free to pop a message down on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

  18. Postpublished at 11:30

    TennisImage source, Getty Images

    Johanna Konta and Venus Williams are due on centre court in Wuhan any moment now.

    Will the nerves be getting to Konta, doubtful given the way she handled yesterday's last-16 match.

    Her win against Simona Halep - where she came back from 5-1 down in the final set to win - was really quite something.

    She is also the first British woman to beat a top two player since Sue Barker saw off world number two Tracy Austin in 1981, long before Konta was even born.

    She has already claimed the biggest scalp of her career in Halep but beating one of the greats of tennis in Venus Williams would surely top that?

  19. 'GB's new number one is fulfilling a dream'published at 11:27 British Summer Time 1 October 2015

    Piers Newbery
    BBC Sport

    "Konta has been a study in serenity over recent months, calmly seeing off the likes of Garbine Muguruza, Victoria Azarenka, Andrea Petkovic and now Halep, among others.

    "It is a far cry from the player who, until her run to the US Open fourth round earlier this month, had only won one match in the main draw of a Grand Slam.

    "The improvement has come since the Lawn Tennis Association cut her funding last year, prompting Konta to relocate her training base to northern Spain under the guidance of coaches Esteban Carril and Jose-Manuel Garcia."

    Read more from Piers in his BBC Sport feature on Konta.

  20. Postpublished at 11:23

    Konta v Williams

    Formula 1Image source, Getty Images

    Fresh from her shock defeat of world number two Simona Halep at the Wuhan Open in China, Britain's Johanna Konta is back in action today and about to realise a childhood dream.

    The 24-year-old is up against former world number one Venus Williams in a battle for a place in the semi-finals.

    "I grew up watching her play," said Konta. "But as a competitor, I'm just really looking forward to the challenge. She's a multi Grand Slam champion for a reason."

    A big day for Konta.