Johanna Konta impresses new coach with victory in Moscow

Eastbourne's Johanna Konta won her first round match of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow as she beat Elise Mertens 6-3 7-5.
Johanna KontaJohanna Konta
Johanna Konta

Konta, the British No 1, will play Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko or Australian Daria Gavrilova in the second round.

It was a promising start for Konta who is working with her new coach Dimitri Zavialoff on a trial basis at this week’s Kremlin Cup.

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Zavialoff previously worked with multiple Grand Slam winner Stanislas Wawrinka.

Konta, who has slipped down the world rankings to No 46, parted with American Michael Joyce recently and moved swiftly to hire the 43-year-old Frenchman.

Zavialoff has also coached Swiss star Timea Bacsinszky, who has twice reached the semi-finals of the French Open and broken into the top 10.