Wimbledon - Time for Johanna Konta to reach for the stars

The 26-year-old, who switched nationalities to British in 2012, will carry the hopes of her adopted nation in her quest to reach a first Grand Slam final.

In the process, Konta will bid to put a British name in the women’s final for the first time since Virginia Wade lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish 40 years ago.

Should Konta succeed, she will meet either 2015 runner-up Garbine Muguruza or shock semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova, who won the Aegon Ilkley Trophy in the lead up to Wimbledon, in the Centre Court showpiece on Saturday.

Standing in her way of history is an evergreen opponent playing in her 22nd grand slam semi-final, her first coming at the US Open 20 years ago when Konta had just turned six.

The pair have never met on grass but Konta won their only meeting in a Grand Slam in the first round of the Australian Open last year.

That result laid the foundation to the world No 7’s breakthrough into the game’s elite as she reached her maiden semi-final where she lost to eventual winner Angelique Kerber.

Then, Konta had little in the way of big-game experience but 18 months down the line, she has become accustomed to the big occasion.

“I’d like to think actually that all the matches I played – I know this will be my second slam semi-final – but I do think nerves and excitement and those sorts of emotions that come along with big matches aren’t necessarily specific to grand slam moments,” Konta said. “I’ve been a part of some great moments and exciting moments in other events as well.

“I’d like to think that I’ll be using all that experience come Thursday.”

It is all a far cry from where Konta was as she signed papers to register for Britain back in 2012 as a young player hovering around the 200 mark in the rankings.

Likewise, for a player that had previously won just one match in four outings to SW19 – though defeats had fallen against higher ranked players.

However, Konta should have no reason to feel overawed by Williams, whom she has beaten three times in five previous meetings including in the final of her maiden WTA Tour success in Stanford last year.

Her blistering performance against world No 2 Simona Halep in the quarter-finals on Tuesday furthered her credentials as a top grass court player and one that can nullify the baseline capabilities of the game’s biggest hitters.

As a seven-time slam winner, Williams will hold little concern over so-called semi-final pressure or playing against a crowd on Centre Court.

Like Konta, the evergreen Williams has made impressive headway through the rounds and her quarter-final victory over French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko should not be understated.

The American, who entered Wimbledon despite having been involved in a traumatic fatal car crash in the United States two weeks previous, exerted her usual baseline expertise to blow away the confident youngster in two sets, epitomising the form the five-time champion has been in throughout the two weeks.

She has lost just one set in five rounds, spending 32 less games out on court than Konta.

Williams said: “I love this game. That’s why I put in the effort and the time. It’s a beautiful game. It’s been so good to me. I love the challenge. I love pressure.”

Williams has reached the last 16 of her last six major tournaments – the only player in the women’s draw that can recoil in such statistic – and is bidding to become the oldest female to reach the final since Martina Navratilova in 1994, the year Williams turned professional.

Today’s encounter will be her 101st in 20 years on the grass courts at SW19. She has claimed victory on 84 occasions.

“I definitely think experience helps, for sure,” the American said.

“For a lot of the players I’ve played, it’s their first time in the third round or the quarter-finals.

“So I have an opportunity to bank on experience in having dealt with those sort of pressures before.”

Konta admitted the American great was not one of her role models throughout her formative years – as she travelled from Australia to Spain as a 14-year-old and onto Eastbourne to join the Lawn Tennis Association system.

But her respect has hit fever pitch now.

“As I’ve got older and actually played against her, I have more and more respect for and more and more awareness for the achievements,” the British No 1 said.

“What Venus and her sister have given our sport is absolutely tremendous.

“The way they’ve elevated women’s tennis is truly inspiring. So I feel very excited and very humbled to be sharing the court with her again.”

On Konta, Williams responded: “I’m sure she’s confident and determined.

“She’s probably dealing with a different kind of pressure playing here at home. But she seems to be handling it well.

“I think we play a very similar style: aggressive, serve well, return well, very solid off the ground. So really it’s just about playing that game better and see where you find openings on that day.”