Johanna Konta 4-1 for Roland Garros glory after dumping Stephens

Day ten

Britain's Johanna Konta stormed into the semi-finals of the French Open with a superb 6-1 6-4 victory over last year's Roland Garros runner-up Sloane Stephens.

The Eastbourne ace, whose fortunes on clay have picked up big-time this season, reached the Rome final a week before the second major of the campaign started in major and she has kicked on in Paris.

Konta had never won a main-draw match at Roland Garros before this year's tournament and is the first British woman to reach the semi-finals there since Jo Durie in 1983.

Stephens, US Open champion in 2017, is one of the best female players in the WTA ranks but the American had no answer as Konta dropped just one game in the opening set.

Sloane Stephens struggled to cope with Johanna KontaCredit: Julian Finney

The Australian-born Briton broke Stephens early in set two as well and though the sixth seed made more of a fight of it from then on, Konta's serving held firm and she was not broken.

Konta's game has picked up since she ditched Michael Joyce, her coach in 2018, and taking on the services of Dimitri Zavialoff, who once worked with Stan Wawrinka.

She was chopped to 4-1 from 10-1 to be crowned French Open champion after the triumph and in the semi-finals Konta, who was 50-1 to go all the way at Roland Garros at the outset, will meet a lower-ranked opponent.

Konta is 8-1 from 28-1 with Betway to win the Sports Personality of the Year award after her efforts in Paris.

Rafael Nadal, who is chasing a 12th Roland Garros singles title, hammered seventh seed Kei Nishikori 6-1 6-1 6-3 to progress to the last four.

In the semis Nadal will meet great rival and third seed Roger Federer, who overcame Stan Wawrinka 7-6 4-6 7-6 6-4.

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