Johanna Konta endured her toughest defeat in five years on Monday – albeit away from the WTA Tour – when the world No 289 Jodie Burrage, a British novice still learning the game at tennis outposts such as Jodhpur and Nonthaburi, shocked the three-times grand slam semi-finalist, 6-4, 6-3.
It was not a great day for British No 1s. In the second match of the Battle of the Brits team event at Roehampton, the world No 77 Cam Norrie double-faulted in the deciding tie-break before sealing a high-grade 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 victory against Dan Evans with an unreachable backhand winner that left his opponent stranded at the net.
In the first of 60 matches over seven days, the 21-year-old Burrage outhustled Konta, who had not played since the game closed down in March. In 2015 the then world No 305, Sofia Arvidsson, inflicted a similarly embarrassing defeat.
“First match, team supporting me, against such a good player, I feel really overwhelmed,” Burrage said courtside after her first win against a player in the top 100, even though it will not figure in Tour records.
Konta, the world No 14 who has been as high as No 4, did not play to her ranking or reputation as her opponent stuck to an uncomplicated game plan behind a solid serve. “I am surprised at how I played,” Burrage said. “When I found out I was playing her I was really nervous and didn’t want to get hit off the court. But this morning I was just excited to get out there and swing, no pressure. I’m glad I was able to close it out at the end. As Judy [Murray, her team coach in this tournament] said, ‘dancing toes’, just keep my legs going.”
Burrage has experienced the delights of the ITF circuit from Cairo to Sunderland, scrapping for small cheques and wins over equally obscure opponents with intermittent success. Then only 10 days ago in the final of the LTA’s Progress Tour tournament, she came to wider notice when she was within a few games of beating Katie Boulter before the Fed Cup player regrouped to win 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2. It was Burrage’s second LTA final of a truncated season.
Konta said she knew little about Burrage and would not be drawn on her potential. “I don’t know,” she said. “She played a really good match today.” She confirmed she has withdrawn from the Palermo Open next week and will instead head for the Top Seed Open in Lexington, Kentucky, in preparation for the US Open, scheduled to begin on 31 August – although neither tournament is certain to go ahead, due to the lingering presence of coronavirus.