Entertainment

Scream from audience annoys viewers as Jo Konta reaches Wimbledon semi-final in historic win

The British number one will go head-to-head with Venus Williams in Thursday’s semi-final.
The British number one will go head-to-head with Venus Williams in Thursday’s semi-final. The British number one will go head-to-head with Venus Williams in Thursday’s semi-final.

Johanna Konta made history on Tuesday evening as she became Britain’s first woman to advance to the Wimbledon semi-final in 39 years.

The British number one beat world number two Simona Halep and is the first to follow Virginia Wade’s 1978 feat to reach the final four in the competition.

She won 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 in two hours and 38 minutes, however for some on Twitter, the final few seconds of the match overshadowed the spirit of the game – and Konta’s subsequent celebration – as one spectator screeched from the audience at the Briton’s match point.

Some thought Romanian player Halep was distracted by the scream as she delivered a forehand straight into the net, but umpire Kader Nouni did not have the point replayed and Konta emerged the clear victor.

Following her win, Konta told the BBC: “Right now, it’s a little bit surreal.”

Despite the brief, last-minute drama, nobody could deny the high-quality tennis played.

And for a few, the highlight came in the moments after the match, when a Chelsea Pensioner was seen snapping a selfie with Britain’s tennis star from the court sidelines – but not without a little technical help from the player.

Konta will face five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in Thursday’s semi-final.