Paris (AFP)

First British to reach the semifinals of Roland Garros for 36 years, Johanna Konta is the fruit of his new way of training which must, she believes, take him even higher.

After four attempts and so many failures in the first round of the Paris Grand Slam, the 28-year-old, ranked 26th in the WTA, made it into the final slot on Tuesday by smashing last year's American finalist Sloane Stephens ( 7e) 6-1, 6-3.

None of his compatriots had reached this stage of the tournament since Jo Durie in 1983.

"I am very proud to have played at this level against one of the best players in the world," said the young woman born in Sydney (Australia) and became British in 2012.

"There is not much to deal with someone who plays like that," said the American humbly.

Konta have posted 15 wins on clay this season, the second-highest total behind Croatian Petra Martic (16), beaten Tuesday by Czech Marketa Vondrousova who will be the next opponent of the British.

Although she was weakened by an illness the first days, Konta plays a very good tennis since the beginning of the Parisian fortnight. And this year she had already won her two previous confrontations with Stephens, Rome (clay), and Brisbane (hard).

The recipe for these successes, for the player who likes to indulge in pastry, is "acceptance".

- "I accept" -

"I accept long points, I accept short points, I do not force things, I am more malleable, I accept what happens during games," she says.

With this new state of mind, she hopes not to stop there: "Of course, I still think I can go to the end and I've already played two semi-finals Grand Slam, so I know this feeling of wanting climb one more step, "she said after qualifying for the quarterbacks.

She will play Thursday her third semifinal of a Grand Slam tournament, after the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon 2017, when she reached her best WTA rankings (4th).

- "The player I want to be" -

"I am very happy with the way I train and work every day," said the player who has been coached since last October by Dimitri Zavialoff. "It was great just encouraging me and letting me play the way I wanted to play, without constraining or restraining myself," said the British, delighted to be from now on "the player (she) seen ( t) be ".

"More than anything, I enjoy playing tennis," she says.

Compared to other players of her age, Konta took a long time to break out on the WTA's main circuit, her ranking limiting her to the ITF circuit when most current Top 50 players were already at the top level.

"When I look back on this period, I can look at it with a certain affection, because it is by it, without doubt, that I arrived where I am".

For the rest, she readily admits to finding "glamor" to her home-based lifestyle. To the point of renting the same apartment in Paris when it comes to Roland-Garros.

"I try to live as much as possible in places where I can cut a little (with the tennis world) and often during the year, we stay in the official hotels (of the organization, ed) and they They look a bit like player lounges, which is a little tiring, so for the last five or six years, I've been to this apartment, I like to live there, "she explained.

An apartment where she does not have a television and will not be able to see the match of her next opponent.

? 2019 AFP