British tennis star Johanna Konta was involved in a heated exchange with a reporter, accusing him of patronising her, after her quarter-final loss to Czech Barbora Strycova at Wimbledon.
The 28-year-old raised home hopes, when she powered into a 4-1 lead against the unseeded Strycova, but things turned ugly, as she slumped to a 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 centrecourt defeat.
While the 33-year-old Strycova played impressively to outsmart the 18th seed, Konta was the architect of her own downfall, as she blazed 34 unforced errors against an opponent who simply had too much guile.
The outcome ended Britain's hopes of a first women's singles champion here since Virginia Wade in 1977.
Considering Konta is a three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist with a career-high ranking of four, it did not seem unreasonable for her to be asked whether she could have performed better.
Perhaps the pressure of being Britain's big hope in the absence of Andy Murray from the singles had gotten to her, but Konta was in no mood for negativity.
"Is that in your professional tennis opinion?" she snapped during a post-match news conference.
"Okay, I mean, I don't think you need to pick on me in a harsh way. I think I'm very open with you guys.
"I say how I feel out there. If you don't want to accept that answer or you don't agree with it, that's fine.
"I still believe in the tennis I play. I believe in the way I competed.
"I don't have much else to say to your question."
Pushed further, she said: "Please don't patronise me...
"No, no, you are. In the way you're asking your question, you're being quite disrespectful and you're patronising me.
"I'm a professional competitor, who did her best today, and that's all there is to that."
But Konta remains convinced she will end Britain's long wait for a successor to Wade.
"I think the best I can do is put myself in the positions, to give myself the opportunity to keep going further and further," she said. "I mean, it will either happen or it won't.
"I'm no less of a person or a player, if I don't get past this point. Equally so, if I do.
"I play this game with dignity and I love the sport. I'm grateful for everything that it brings me."
Reuters
