Kerber ends Konta’s run to reach Melbourne final

Reuters: Angelique Kerber ended Johanna Konta’s fairytale run at the Australian Open with a 7-5 6-2 victory on Thursday to earn a place in her first grand slam final.

Kerber, the first German woman to reach the Melbourne title decider in 20 years, subdued the British main draw debutante in 82 minutes to set up a meeting with reigning champion Serena Williams.

Konta, Britain’s first women’s semi-finalist at the Australian Open in 39 years, recovered from a nervous start to take the match to the seventh seed in a tight first set.

Kerber kept her composure, however, and secured a decisive break for 6-5 in the first set before overwhelming the world number 47 in the second, sealing victory when Konta went along with a backhand return.