Johanna Konta makes winning start to 2018

ByPA Sport

Updated 01/01/2018 at 09:59 GMT

British number one Johanna Konta got the taste for victory again as she began 2018 with an impressive win over Madison Keys at the Brisbane International.

Johanna Konta of Britain hits a return against Madison Keys of the US during their first round women's singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane on January 1, 2018.

Image credit: Getty Images

Konta had a dreadful end to the 2017 season, not winning since August and suffering from injury, but she put that right on the opening day of the new year with a come-from-behind 4-6 6-4 6-3 success over the American.

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It was the toughest first-round draw possible for Konta against a player ranked 19th in the world and she lost the first set by dropping her serve at 4-5.

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Playing her first match under new coach Michael Joyce, who used to work with Maria Sharapova, Konta began to get on top and a single break midway through the second set was enough for her to level matters.

Johanna Konta of Britain serves against Madison Keys of the US during their first round women's singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane on January 1, 2018.

Image credit: Getty Images

She then took Keys' serve in the opening game of the decider and saw it out comfortably to end a run of five successive defeats, going back to the Cincinnati Open in August.

Konta said on BT Sport: "It was my first match in quite a while and it was a tough first round, Madison is a great player. She has a big game so when my chances came I had to take them."

Heather Watson, however, is out after a straight sets defeat to Anett Kontaveit, going down 6-0 6-3.

Watson was only playing in the first-round match after gaining a lucky loser place following her defeat in qualifying.

And after losing the opening eight games she was never in this match, with the Estonian wrapping up victory for the loss of just three games.

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