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Johanna Konta Is The British Tennis Star Australia Wants Back

She just became the first Brit in 39 years to make a Wimbledon semi-final.
Matthew Childs / Reuters

Johanna Konta, Australia really, really wants you back.

In case you missed it, 26-year-old British tennis star Konta paved her way into a Wimbledon semi-final on Tuesday with a convincing win over Romania's Simona Halep -- which is also the first time in 39 years a player from the United Kingdom has made the final four in the Women's Singles at the world's oldest tennis tournament.

British tennis fans everywhere are now going bonkers for the 7th-seed Konta after she came back from being a set down to seal the win 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 against Halep, and setting up a semi-final thriller against five-time champion Venus Williams.

In other words, she's good. Very good.

"I felt very clear about what I was trying to achieve out there. I continued to trust in the fact that what I was doing was going to bring me good things," Konta said after the match.

Now, here's the thing. While Konta is representing the U.K. at Wimbledon -- and has done since being granted British citizenship in 2012 -- she was actually born and raised in Sydney before her family moved overseas when she was 13.

And as you might remember, Australia's dream start to Wimbledon this year pretty much ended before it had even begun after Nick Kyrgios AND Bernard Tomic both bowed out of the tournament in the first round under controversial circumstances.

In other words, Australia won't be winning anything at Wimbledon this year and, Johanna, on behalf of all Australian tennis fans and our national hope for success -- we think it's time we claim you back as our own on your way to tennis glory.

This also isn't the first time Australia has tried to swoon the Brit back to her birthplace.

Following her stunning win over Venus Williams at the 2016 Australian Open, Konta wound her memory back to her days of playing at Melbourne Park and and brushed aside her nickname as "the one that got away" for a commentator who politely reminded her that she's an Aussie at heart.

"I remember playing in the under 12 nationals [at Melbourne Park], a really, really long match on one of the outside courts, a very, very hot day," she said at the time.

"I feel like [the nickname is] one of those boyfriend talks -- 'Is that the guy that got away?'

"It's a compliment that you guys would say that, so thank you. But be grateful for what you guys have as well."

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