Preview: Konta vs. Vondrousova a surprising but not shocking semifinal

On the surface, this looks like a shocker of a semifinal. Before this spring, Konta was never known as a clay-court threat, and the 19-year-old Vondrousova was basically never known. But if you’ve been paying attention this spring, you’re probably not all that shocked to see these two women playing for a spot in the French Open final.

Vondrousova reached the final at the clay-court event in Istanbul, while Konta did the same in Rome—along the way at the Foro Italico, the Brit also beat the Czech in three sets. Their rematch should be intriguing. Konta has been playing with clarity and confidence, and using her serve with brilliant variety; she lost one point on it in the second set of her quarterfinal against Sloane Stephens. The question will be whether Vondrousova can complicate matters for Konta. With her mix of heavy ground strokes and feathery touch, she could be just the woman to do it. Winner: Konta