Andy Murray backs Johanna Konta to succeed at Austrlian Open

Johanna Konta is focusing on one match at a time, but faces a brutal quarter of the draw. Picture: Getty.

But for once, Murray is not the only big British name in Melbourne: Johanna Konta is being tipped as a possible Australian Open champion. And Murray is one of those who fancies her chances.

Konta looked remarkably stress-free as she waltzed through the rounds in Sydney without dropping a set and then wiped the floor with Agnieszka Radwanska in the final of the Apia International on Friday.

Tomorrow in the first round of the Open, she has to start from scratch against Kirsten Flipkens, the world  No 73 from Belgium before trying to battle her way through a brutal quarter of the draw featuring Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. Then again, none of the top women is looking secure in her position and this year’s Australian Open draw is as open as it has ever been. Konta, then, has as good a chance as any of the top ten to make her mark. It just depends on how she handles the pressure.

“I don’t think it [the pressure] changes too much at the beginning of the event,” Murray said. “It is more when you get to the latter stages it tends to be when you start to feel more pressure, when you feel you are closer or there is an opportunity to win a grand slam, but I don’t see why she can’t right now.

“I think there is a bit of uncertainty at the top of the women’s game now. She is playing the best tennis of her life, she is probably confident after the way she finished last year. She seems to have started this year pretty well and there is no reason why she can’t go deep in this event if she plays well.”

Such words of support from the men’s world No 1 are nice to hear but Konta is keeping it simple. She has risen from relative obscurity to the world’s top ten in less than two years and she has done it by focusing only on the present. What has happened in the past is gone; what will happen in the future is unknown. But the present is within her control and if she can cut out all external distractions and enjoy the business of hitting the ball as best she can, all will be well.

So even if Murray thinks she could become a grand slam champion, Konta will not let it deflect her from her blinkered path.

“I think that’s other people’s opinion and actually that’s quite flattering if people talk like that or think that,” she said. “But there’s a whole lot of work to be done between being a contender and possibility to the person who will actually be winning it in the end. There is a lot of matches to be played, a lot of different things will happen between now and then.”

Last November, Konta’s psychologist, Juan Coto, died at the age of 47. Shortly after that, Konta parted company with her coach, Esteban Carril. It was Carril who introduced her to Coto in 2014 and between them, the two men guided Konta up the rankings. But as last season drew to a close, so did that chapter of Konta’s professional life.

Over the Christmas break, she started working with Wim Fissette, the former coach to Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Simona Halep. Although the new partnership is still in its infancy, it appears to be working well.

“I’m enjoying learning from him,” Konta said. “He comes with just an incredible amount of experience on the tour with some of the best players in the game. I think he’s a very calm individual, but he’s also quite funny. So far we’re having a good time.”

Two years ago, Konta had the game to beat anyone but she did not have the mental strength to handle the pressure of the competition. Coto and Esteban helped solve that problem and now Fissette has the experience to take her on to the next level.

“I believe I have matured,” Konta said. “I believe I’ve gotten better at reinvesting the experiences and the lessons that I’ve learned throughout the years and actually putting them into the situations that I face on the match court. I think that has made me a better competitor.

“My desire is to get better. My desire is to keep improving. Now, whether that will result in many more titles or great performances, I don’t know. We’ll see. But as long as I feel that I’m doing everything that I can to move forward, then I know I’m giving my best shot at having results.”

If she does that, she may well prove Murray right.