By Chris Oddo | Monday September 5 2016
Ana Konjuh put on a brilliant display of power tennis to stun Agnieszka Radwanska on Monday night in New York.
Photo Source: Al Bello Getty
18-year-old Ana Konjuh reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by stunning No. 4-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska on Monday night in New York, 6-4, 6-4. The hard-hitting Croatian was not intimidated by the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium and played assertive tennis from start to finish. She racked up 38 winners to just nine for Radwanska.
“She was playing pretty good tennis, serving very well,” Radwanska said. “I just couldn't do any more I guess today. I was really trying. I was just too slow today.”
Konjuh famously lost a heartbreaker to Radwanska at Wimbledon this season in a dramatic three-setter that saw the Croatian slip on a ball at 7-7 in the third. She turned her ankle badly but attempted to finish the match to no avail on one good leg.
On Monday she hit the ground running, attacking Radwanska from the onset.
Despite the power gap, Radwanska held her own in both sets, but the Pole could only manage one break of serve against Konjuh on the night in three opportunities. The Croatian broke for 4-3 and held in her final two service games to take the first set.
In the second set, Konjuh drew first blood by breaking for 5-4 and she held to 15 to clinch the victory one hour and 19 minutes.
Konjuh’s first serve averaged 106 MPH on the radar gun, and the Croatian hit a fastest serve of 118.
Konjuh moves on to face No. 10 seed Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals.