Right then, here we go! Halep and Konta have arrived on court for what should be a cracker. Halep will be smarting from that French Open final defeat; Konta will be feeling the weight of history and expectation.

Konta 4-4 Halep

Konta finds herself in trouble at 0-30, but calmly delivers a big serve, an ace, and a service winner. Then another service winner. Konta is humming, Halep is flagging; crucial game coming up.

Konta 3-4 Halep

And there we go! Eight points in a row for Konta, who is hitting cleaner and harder than Halep now, seizing the break back and expelling aggression thereafter. When she gets hold of the ball, her power is just too much.

Konta 2-4 Halep

Halep is so tenacious, making Konta work for every point. But she's starting to dominate them all the same, holding to love thanks to consistent and excellent power-hitting.

Konta 1-4 Halep

Konta wins two points with her backhand and loses two with her forehand; she's in with a sniff here, and has break-point when a forehand drive into the corner forces an error. Halep saves it though, good depth on her forehand eliciting the error, then again, then again.

Konta 1-3 Halep

Lovely start to the game from Konta, opening up the angle for a big, booming forehand. And she quickly has game points, before netting to give Halep a glimmer, then going wide; but she keeps at it, sending another forehand careering outside the tramlines which Halep can't get back into play. Konta is on the board.

Konta 0-3 Halep

Halep's serve works well, setting up a couple of easy points, but also doesn't work well, allowing Konta to take control of rallies; she's just a bit small to be a consistent danger. So we end up at deuce and Halep goes long at the end of a 14-shot rally, but Konta does likewise with her next return. Halep then wins the next two points pretty handily, to reinforce her advantage.

Konta 0-2 Halep

Halep is an absolute powerhouse, and bangs back returns that get her 15-30. So Konta slices an approach, races into the net, and hits a forehand long ... break-point, and Halep pastes back her hardest serve of the match!

Konta 0-1 Halep

Decent start for Konta, who finds the middle of her racket almost immediately. And at 30-30, she looks in control of the point, but Halep defends really well and forces a forehand hit long. She quickly polishes off the game to establish a lead.

Halep to serve.