Express & Star

Johanna Konta eyes a Aegon Classic scalp

British No 2 Johanna Konta was today hoping to claim a notable scalp at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham after the weather halted her progress yesterday.

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Konta's clash with sixth seed Karolina Pliskovawill was delicately poised at one-set all when rain curtailed play for the day.

The Brit was 4-3 down in the third set against but appeared poised to reclaim the break of serve at 15-30.

Konta will need to pick up where she left off yesterday and recreate the form of the first set, when she looked by far the stronger and more comfortable player.

Former Aegon Classic champion Jelena Jankovic has her eyes set on recapturing the famous Maud Watson Trophy.

Her task should have got easier yesterday with defeats to Ana Ivanovic, Eugenie Bouchard and the withdrawal of injured Victoria Azarenka.

Ivanovic looked lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 to Michelle Larcher de Brito while Bouchard was sent tumbling by big-hitting Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 4-6, 6-0

Jankovic, seeded 15, still faces a sizeable task against fourth seed Angelique Kerber today.

Two more former champions face off in a third round when Sabine Lisicki plays Magdalena Rybarikova. A third, Daniela Hantuchova, takes on giant-killer De Brito.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, the only remaining Grand Slam champion left in the draw, has been making quiet but steady progress through the tournament.

She may need to step up a gear when she faces third seed Carla Suarez Navarro. Top seed Simone Halep proved much too strong for Naomi Broady in the second round.

She will hope to reproduce that form when she plays Klara Koukalova.

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