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Fed Cup Australia v Germany: Sam Stosur pre-tie interview
Duration: 3.67 Sam Stosur chats with teammate Casey Dellacqua ahead of their Fed Cup tie against Germany in Stuttgart. View more...
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Sam to start tie against Kerber
21 April 2012
Sam Stosur will lead the Australian charge against Germany in their Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Play-off tie in Stuttgart on Saturday. The Australians will be looking to upset the Germans, who are the favourites to win, as they attempt to re-instate themselves in the elite World Group of eight nations. At the official draw ceremony in Stuttgart on Friday, it was announced that Stosur, the world No.5 and Australia’s No.1 player, will open proceedings on Saturday against Germany’s Angelique Kerber, ranked world No.14. Stosur said the Fed Cup tie against Germany will be close. “It is a very strong tie, this tie, and everybody here is good. There are so many good players,” she said. “Germany has three players in the top 15 so it is certainly going to be a tough tie. If I play first or second it doesn’t really bother me. I know that I am first so I will prepare for that match. Stosur comes into the match against Kerber having defeated the German in the US Open semifinals, a three-set victory which paved the way for her first Grand Slam singles victory over Serena Williams in the final. She said the world No.14 presented a tough challenge on the indoor red clay of Porsche Arena. “Angelique hits very well, very flat and deep to the corners. You have to be prepared to work hard and to get low and work for every single point so it is certainly going to be a tough match. “I do enjoy playing on the clay. It is definitely one of my favourite surfaces and I enjoy playing on this court too. Hopefully I can use my experience on the clay and this court to my advantage over the weekend. In the reverse singles, Stosur will take on world No.16 Julia Goerges, who defeated the Australian in their last meeting on this very court - 7-5 in the third set - in the semifinals of the WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, a tournament she would go on to win. Goerges will first take on Aussie No.2 Jarmila Gajdosova in the second singles match on Saturday. Gajdosova said that the Australian team was ready for its tough assignment. “I believe in Sam and I believe in Australia. I am sure she will do all she can. She is a great player and she will give her heart out there. I am hoping it will be 1-0 up by the time I take to the court tomorrow," she said. Casey Dellacqua will join Stosur as the doubles, pairing against Germany’s top-ranked player, Andrea Petkovic (world No.11) and Anna-Lena Groenefeld (doubles No.45). This will be the last match to be played on Sunday.Sam enjoying return to Stuttgart
19 April 2012
Sam Stosur is hoping her success at the WTA event in Stuttgart - played at the same venue as where Australia is taking on Germany in Fed Cup - will bode well for a good performance this weekend. The world No.5 reached the Stuttgart final in 2010 before falling to Justine Henin in three sets, and last year made it to the semifinals where German Julia Goerges eliminated her 7-5 in the third set. Goerges went on to win the title. “This is a great court to play on. I’ve played this tournament here where we’re playing a few times and done quite well, so hopefully I can get used to those conditions again and really enjoy the week," Stosur said. "But it’s going to be tough playing the Germans. We’ve got a packed house which is going to be great to play in front of but I don’t think we should expect too much support from the sidelines.” The German team will feature Georges (the world No.16) as well as Andrea Petkovic (No.11), Angelique Kerber (No.14) and doubles specialist Anna-Lena Groenefeld. Australian team captain David Taylor, also Stosur's coach, believes the tie represents an extremely tough challenge for the Aussies, bidding to return to the Fed Cup World Group for the first time in two years. “There's a lot of local interest. Obviously the Germans have four top 20 players (No.13 Sabine Lisicki is currently injured) and we have a top five player ourselves, so it's an incredibly strong tie, with almost a quarter of the world’s best tennis players in the one venue," he said. "There will be more pressure on the German team, as they have the much stronger team in terms of ranking and depth, but we have the highest ranked player so I think we have a great chance. “It’s a venue that Sam knows very well, she’s had a lot of success here and played some very good tennis." Stosur has been reacquainting herself with the Porsche Arena this week through the team's training sessions, and said it was great to be back. Her claycourt form so far in 2012 has been impressive. In Australia's World Group II tie against Switzerland in February, also on indoor red clay, she won both of her singles matches in straight sets, before enjoying a trip to the semifinals two weeks ago on the green clay of Charleston. She said she was enjoying the chance to dust off the cobwebs of jetlag this week ahead of the first singles matches to be played on Saturday. “(The first hit-out) was pretty good, it was a little bit tough getting off the plane and coming to practice, but it was good to get the legs moving, and hopefully (from now on) I’ll be a little fresher and hopefully play pretty well,"she said. "It’s good to know we’ve still got a few days here left to prepare before we have to play."Sam to lead Australia against Germany
10 April 2012
World No.5 Sam Stosur will be joined by countrywomen Jarmila Gajdosova, Casey Dellacqua and debutante Olivia Rogowska in the upcoming Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Play-off tie against Germany on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April 2012. Australian Fed Cup Captain David Taylor said that the tie in Germany will be tough but the girls will be up for the challenge. “Germany is fortunate to be enjoying a renaissance in women’s tennis,” Taylor said. “They have four top 20 players and it is the strongest team Australia could have drawn. “The venue has already sold out and the Germans, like us, have high expectations. We look forward to the challenge. “A lot of our chances for success will be with our No.1 reaching top form. Sam has done well at this venue in the past losing in a close final to Justine Henin in 2010 and losing a very close match in the semifinals last year to Germany’s No.2 Julia Goerges. Sam is one of the best claycourt players in women’s tennis at the moment and is capable of leading our team to what would be a memorable victory. “Ironically one of the last times our two countries met, in 1993, our Australian Fed Cup Coach, Nicole Bradtke, famously upset the then No.1 Steffi Graf for one of Australia’s finest Fed Cup victories. There is no reason why we cannot do this again. “It was a difficult decision to choose a team for this tie as we have four girls who are very closely ranked which is a nice problem to have. “Nicole and I decided to go with Olivia Rogowska, who will be making her debut for Australia, as a reward for her big ranking improvement in the past six months and her performances at the WTA level during the Australian summer. She has also proven herself on clay with a win over Russian star Maria Kirilenko at Roland Garros. “Casey has again gained selection for her continued ranking rise in 2012 and she and Sam have formed a doubles partnership recently on the WTA tour that could prove critical in this tie. “Sam and Jarmila continue to remain our top two ranked singles players.”Sam bows out of Charleston
8 April 2012
Serena Williams, playing what she called one of the best matches of her career, defeated Samantha Stosur 6-1 6-1 on Saturday to reach the WTA's Charleston final. Williams needed 59 minutes to subdue the second-seeded Australian, who beat the American in the US Open final last September but has now lost to her twice in two events. In Sunday's final on the green clay court at Charleston, the fifth-seeded American will face ninth-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova, who notched her own semifinal win, 6-0 6-0 over Slovenia's Polona Hercog. "I have to say, this is probably the best match I've played in my career, either in a long time or it's up there in the top five," said Williams, owner of 13 Grand Slam titles and 39 singles titles overall. She seized control by winning the first eight points, broke Stosur five times and saved both break points she faced. "It didn't really seem to matter what I did," said Stosur, who won the Charleston title in 2010. "She came out with the goods every time." Williams improved to 6-3 overall against Stosur, including a straight-sets victory in Miami 11 days ago in which Williams fired 20 aces. Williams had a relatively sedate seven aces on Saturday, but that was plenty to prevent Stosur from becoming just the eighth player to beat both Williams sisters in the same tournament. Stosur had beaten Venus Williams in the quarterfinals to spoil the chance of an all-Williams semi. Stosur may have been feeling the effects of a long Friday, on which she had to complete a rain-disrupted third-round victory over Galina Voskoboeva, then battle past Venus in three sets.Sam scores first ever win over Venus
7 April 2012
Sam Stosur has produced a mammoth effort to reach the semifinals of the WTA Family Circle Cup in Charleston, completing her third round match against Galina Voskoboeva on before returning to court on the same day to defeat Venus Williams for the first time in her career. Stosur's match against Voskoboeva had been suspended on Thursday evening due to rain, with the Australian leading 4-2 in the first set. When the pair returned to court on Friday morning, the world No.5 overcame a second-set hiccup to defeat the Kazakh 6-3 4-6 6-2, setting up a quarterfinal stoush with Williams, a wildcard into the Premier-level event. That match got underway less than two hours after Stosur had won her match against Voskoboeva, with Stosur eventually wrapping up her second consecutive three-set win, 6-3 4-6 6-3, in two hours and 17 minutes. It was a gruelling day for Stosur, and the road ahead gets no easier - the win against Williams sets up a semifinal showdown against sister Serena, who came through her quarterfinal against Sabine Lisicki after the German retired in the first set due to a left ankle injury. “I don’t think it was the end of the world to get out there and play this morning,” Stosur said. “Today was very different than what we’ve been playing in, so it was good to get used to the conditions. I would have preferred not to play two three-set matches, but nevertheless, I’m happy to be through.” Stosur and Venus - both former Family Circle Cup champions - began their match in chilly conditions at the Daniel Island Tennis Centre, both appearing on court wearing long sleeves and with Williams even donning a pair of three-quarter length leggings. The Aussie's game, so well suited to the green clay of Charleston, troubled Williams in the opening set. She scored a service break to love in the sixth game with a heavy forehand that Williams couldn't control, and soon after took a one-set lead thanks to a booming service winner down the T. The American hit back strongly in the second set, staving off break point in the third game with some athletic play at net and then scoring a break of serve in the sixth game to lead 4-2 when Stosur sent a running forehand long of the baseline. When Williams clinched the second set with a powerful backhand that forced the error from Stosur, and then lead 2-1 in the third, it looked as if her successful return to the tour following illness was going to continue on its merry way. But Stosur had other ideas. She played a magnificent running forehand passing shot winner to open the fourth game, a moment that seemed to spark a revival in her game. She swept five of the next six games to seal the match and a spot in the semifinals. It was the No.2 seed's first win in five career meetings with Williams, the American having won all four of their previous matches in straight sets. “It’s only one win compared to I don’t know how many times she’s beaten me, five or six, but of course I’m very, very happy to have beaten Venus now,” Stosur said. “It’s always a good challenge coming up against the players you’ve never beaten, and I’ve always struggled against her game, but thankfully I was able to turn it around.” Stosur's head-to-head is more positive against Serena - despite Williams leading 5-3, Stosur won their only other match on clay, in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2010. Should she beat Serena, Stosur would become just the eighth player in history to defeat both Williams sisters at the same tournament.Sam sails through in Charleston
4 April 2012
Sam Stosur has begun her Family Circle Cup campaign in style, moving past local hope Jamie Hampton in straight sets at the $740,000 WTA Premier event. Stosur’s 6-0 7-5 victory came after one hour and 20 minutes, setting up a third round meeting against either Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva – who moved past Stosur’s compatriot Jelena Dokic in the first round – or Argentinean qualifier Paula Ormaechea. The world No.5 began brightly on Stadium Court at the Daniel Island Tennis Centre in Charleston. She raced through the opening set as Hampton struggled mightly on serve, hitting six double faults and winning a measly eight per cent of points behind her second serve. Yet admirably, the American shrugged this off and performed much better in the second set, with four aces and a better winning percentage on both first and second serves contributing to a much tighter affair. Stosur’s experience ultimately shone through however, and the Aussie did enough to subdue the 92nd-ranked Hampton and take her 2012 win-loss record to 12-7.Sam back at happy hunting ground
3 April 2012
Sam Stosur kicks off her claycourt campaign at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, one of her favourite stops on tour and where she was a champion in 2010. When she sat down with her team to plot her assault on the 2012 tennis season, she knew precisely where she would be in the world in the first week of April. “I always love playing in Charleston and it is one of the first tournaments I put on my schedule every year,” she reveals. “The fans are really into their tennis and the staff at the tournament are great. It’s always nice to play an event where you’ve performed well in the past, and feel comfortable with all the conditions.” Indeed, Stosur arrives at the WTA Premier event in South Carolina this year as the highest seeded player and knows what it takes to win the title following her victory two years before. The Australian’s resounding win in the final that year – a 6-0 6-3 destruction of Vera Zvonareva in just 52 minutes – kick-started a magnificent claycourt season for the then 26-year-old. Stosur went 20-3 on the surface in 2010, also reaching the final in Stuttgart and the quarterfinals in Madrid before staging a stunning run to the final at Roland Garros. There she defeated Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic along the way before falling to Francesca Schiavone. The world No.5, who says that clay is the surface that best suits her imposing game, believes the Charleston event is the perfect preparation for the next segment of the tennis season, which is staged almost exclusively on the dirt until the French Open finishes in early June. “Clay suits my kick serve and forehand, which I like to play with lots of spin. It also gives me time to get around my backhand and try to use my forehand to dominate the points,” she explains. “I always look forward to starting on the clay and it is nice to start on the green clay. It maybe plays a touch faster than red clay but it is very nice and I believe great preparation for Europe. “The clay court season is my favourite time of the year to play and something I set myself to be ready for.” Following her week in South Carolina, Stosur will next fly to Europe where she plans to represent Australia in its Fed Cup tie in Germany in late April. She is then scheduled to contest WTA Premier events in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome in the lead-up to Roland Garros. But before she can focus on that, she must concentrate on the week ahead in Charleston, a city that hosts one of the WTA’s most historic and pioneering events. The tournament was first played in 1973, the year in which the Women’s Tennis Association was founded. The inaugural event was the first women’s tennis tournament to offer $100,000 in prizemoney, and to be broadcast on network television. It is the longest-running women’s-only professional tournament in the world, with the 2012 tournament its 40th edition. Stosur’s name is engraved on the trophy alongside some of the biggest stars in the history of the women’s game – Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Venus and Serena Williams and Justine Henin are all former Family Circle Cup champions. For almost 30 years the Family Circle Cup was held on the green clay courts of South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island, before in 2001 moving to the new Daniel Island Tennis Centre in Charleston. Stosur says there are many things that draw her back to the tournament each year. “Charleston is such a beautiful city, and the fans are all tennis people who really know and appreciate the game,” she says. “For such a big tournament it is friendly and relaxed. The surface is good for my tennis. I now have some very good friends in Charleston so it’s a terrific week for me.” While it may no longer attract quite the same stellar playing fields following a re-structure of the WTA tournament calendar that took effect in 2009, Stosur’s competition at this year’s Family Circle Cup remains formidable. In her half of the draw sits Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams and Sabine Lisicki, champions in Charleston in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. Should she get past those potential opponents, she could face in the final her 2010 victim Zvonareva (seeded No.4) or third seed and recent Miami semifinalist Marion Bartoli. Thanks to a first round bye, Stosur’s first opponent will be American Jamie Hapmton, who battled past compatriot Sloane Stephens to book a second-round date with the Aussie. Stosur will be hoping to draw confidence from that run to the Family Circle Cup title two years ago, and to better her third-round finish at last year’s tournament, where she lost in straight sets to eventual finalist Elena Vesnina. “I played some of the best tennis of my life in Charleston so the memories I have there will hopefully inspire me to play well again,” she says. “I think my form is coming along, but obviously the start of the year (in Australia) was not ideal. I know I am very close to playing some great tennis and hopefully on my favourite surface I can get the results I am aiming for.”Sam highest seed in Charleston
2 April 2012
Sam Stosur is the highest seed at this week's WTA Premier event in Charleston following the withdrawal of Sony Ericsson Open champion Agnieszka Radwanska. Radwanska withdrew from the green clay court tournament citing a back injury, just a day after capturing the prestigious Miami title with a victory over Maria Sharapova. “We’re as disappointed as our fans to lose our top seed, and we wish Agnieszka a quick recovery,” said Bob Moran, Family Circle Cup Tournament Director. A revised draw reflecting the change left fifth-ranked Stosur, the second seed, as the highest-ranked player in the field of the $US740,000 event that starts on Monday in Charleston, South Carolina. Stosur won the Premier-level event in 2010, routing Vera Zvonareva 6-0 6-3 in a 52-minute final. The Australian comes into the event following a solid showing at the Sony Ericsson Open, where she reached the fourth round before bowing to five-time Miami champion Serena Williams in a high-quality encounter. According to WTA rules, third-seeded Marion Bartoli of France, who in Miami became the first woman this year to beat world No.1 Victoria Azarenka, was inserted in the top slot of the draw, with fifth-seeded Williams being put into the slot originally occupied by Bartoli. The re-arrangement of several seeded players is aimed at achieving a balanced draw once an eligible player, either a lucky loser or qualifier, is determined to take the open place left by Radwanska’s withdrawal.Serena stops Sam at Sony Ericsson Open
27 March 2012
Their match was hyped to the hilt and did not disappoint, with Serena Williams eventually claiming a 7-5 6-3 win over Sam Stosur in the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open after both women stepped up and delivered an impressive display of aggressive, brutal tennis. It was a match that generated the kind of hype that usually surrounds a tournament final. But when Sam Stosur walked on court to play against Serena Williams, everyone who follows tennis – or sport, for that matter – knew what the fuss was about. Because, as the American press liked to put it, it was a chance for Serena to avenge that loss; a rare Grand Slam final loss to someone other than her sister. “Whenever you go out against someone you’ve just lost to of course you want to win. She wanted to win and I wanted to win,” Stosur said. “We all know what happened at the US Open but that’s in the past.” It would be fair to say that neither Williams nor Stosur had played their best tennis going into this match. Stosur, in particular, had somehow managed to come through a tough, error-strewn match against South African journeywoman Chanelle Scheepers. But on this day, both enjoyed vastly improved performances. “The beauty about tennis is that you can get through a match where you are playing a bit scrappy but you manage to get through that then you get another day to try and rectify the situation and try to improve your tennis,” Stosur reflected after the match. “I thought I did that today and if you look at it from a round by round perspective then I’m happy with the way I improved. I was able to get out there and compete well and play hard and get myself in position where I wasn’t too far from winning that first set.” Of course, tennis played at this intensity attracts its fair share of mistakes. And on reflection, Stosur will look back on a few crucial points in the first set where a forehand was pulled wide or a backhand shanked long. But this was the Stosur that we all love watching, and at times she was simply peerless. The Aussie began as she meant to continue: aggressively. Capitalising on a tentative service game from Williams, she pounded her way to an easy break. But how would her serve perform? Against Scheepers she struggled from time to time with consistency. In her first service game the signs, though, were good with an easy hold. Williams discovered her serve in the third game of the match. If her opening game had been shaky, the rest were simply outstanding. Ace after ace – a personal best of 20 by the end of the match – rained down on Stosur. Those the world No.5 were able to return frequently left the court open for Williams to dispatch a winner. But, crucially, Stosur was keeping her nose in front. As the pair fought a tight first set the status quo remained until 4-3, when Williams managed to fashion a break before holding to move ahead 5-4. Again the pair held until 6-5 before Serena made her move. A huge return game gave her a couple of set points, and she needed only one to take the first set. It was time to rally and Stosur did that. Just when it looked like the momentum was against her, she capitalised on poor serving from Williams to take the first break – and game – of the second set. Williams struck back quickly, though, breaking back to eventually level scores at 2-2. In a pivotal fifth game, Stosur pushed the Miami resident hard, on three occasions fashioning break points with some incredible ground strokes. But each time Williams had an answer, going on to hold for 3-2. “For sure I had my chances being a break up in both sets – even though they were early breaks. It was just a few points in a couple of my service games that I didn’t play very well and she got back even,” Stosur said. “In that second set she served extremely well. I’ve never had six aces served against me in one game and break points that get saved over and over and over again. I gave myself chances but unfortunately for me she was able to take those away pretty quickly.” The next game was the one that changed the match. Scores became 4-2 when Stosur surrendered a simple break and Williams – her serve continuing to get bigger – claimed an easy hold for a 5-2 lead. If the road back was long at this point, it wasn’t impossible. Stosur held for 5-3, then raced to 0-40 on the Serena serve in the next game. But there was that serve. Two aces and a massive second serve brought Williams back to deuce. And from there you just sensed that she simply refused to lose this one. Stosur threw everything she could at the American, but in the end another big serve forced the mistake, allowing Williams to seal a hard-fought 7-5 6-3 victory. “I was looking forward to playing her again,” Stosur revealed. “It was going to happen at some point in time, it just happened to happen here: a big tournament in the States. I was ready for it, I’m sure she was eager to get out there and try to turn the tables again but that’s all part of it. “I enjoy situations like that and matches like that where you play a great player and have to go out there and play well.”Sam stages magnificent comeback
25 March 2012
All the stats pointed to Chanelle Scheepers being a solid test for Sam Stosur, but nothing too taxing. You can’t rely on stats in this game, though. Because on a cool night in Miami, Scheepers took Stosur to the brink of defeat, forcing the reigning US Open champion to claw herself back into the match to win 2-6 7-5 6-2. Going into this second-round clash the pair had met four times before, their head-to-head series tied at two apiece. But, crucially, Scheepers had never defeated a player inside the top 25 and with Stosur ranked at No.5, it seemed a tall order for the South African world No.42. Yet Scheepers came onto court and played the match of her life, seemingly incapable of missing for the first set and a half. For Stosur, it was a frustrating night. A solid opening service game concealed what was to come. Both women held serve until the fifth game of the match, when Stosur surrounded a tame break with a double fault – her sixth in just three service games. Just as worryingly, her groundstrokes were yet to find their range against a player who quite simply refused to miss. One break was survivable, but two? Stosur’s frustration was palpable towards the end of the first set. Shots she normally dispatched with ease were flying inches out, and Scheepers was chasing everything down. In the end, the South African sealed a comfortable first set win. The second set was a chance to wipe the slate clean and start again. It just didn’t start well. Another poor service game by her own lofty standards meant that the Australian was always playing catch up. Crucially, she did start to settle. From that point on the serve got stronger and the ground strokes started to find their range. But Scheepers held strong. Stosur tested her serve in the next few games but couldn’t find a way through. Then Scheepers broke to lead 5-2. For a moment all looked lost as the South African served for the match. But building a lead and winning a match are two different things, and the cracks began to show in her previously flawless game. The toss went, she started to push the ball more and Stosur was able to pressure her on the serve. It worked. A break for 5-3 was followed by a straightforward hold for 5-4. It was the turning point. Breaking to love before holding with ease, Sam had her nose in front for the first time in the set. An imperious game at 6-5 sealed an easy break – but tough second set – and the world No.5 was suddenly in the ascendance. The third set was a relatively simple affair, he US Open champion simply dominating the South African. As Stosur raced to a 3-0 lead Scheepers appeared to be struggling with cramps, but the Aussie had also rediscovered her ‘A-Game’. At 5-0 it looked almost over. Scheepers briefly rallied to bring the score back to 5-2, but on the South African’s next service game Stosur conjured up two match points. She only needed the one before sealing a remarkable comeback victory. “I think I got a little bit lucky,” Stosur reflected after her match. “She maybe got a little bit tired, a little bit tight and probably a little bit nervous trying to finish the match and then I tried to draw on that. When I got to 5-5 I thought ‘okay, I’m in with a shot if I keep on digging deep and making as many balls as I can’. Thankfully I won that second set and got on a bit of a roll in the third. “I was thinking that I keep trying to hang in there. You never know what can happen if you do just try and make one more ball. I didn’t feel like I was hitting the ball too bad but I was making lots of errors which obviously isn’t a way to win.” There’s a re-run of the US Open final in store for Stosur next as she takes on Serena Williams. “It will be great to play Serena again and for sure I’m going to hit the practice court tomorrow, work on a few things and hopefully come out and play a lot better.” Follow our coverage of that match on Twitter (@tennisaustralia).All the stats pointed to Chanelle Scheepers being a solid test for Sam Stosur, but nothing too taxing. You can’t rely on stats in this game, though. Because on a cool night in Miami, Scheepers took Stosur to the brink of defeat, forcing the reigning US Open champion to claw herself back into the match to win 2-6 7-5 6-2.
Going into this second-round clash the pair had met four times before, their head-to-head series tied at two apiece. But, crucially, Scheepers had never defeated a player inside the top 25 and with Stosur ranked at No.5, it seemed a tall order for the South African world No.42.
Yet Scheepers came onto court and played the match of her life, seemingly incapable of missing for the first set and a half.
For Stosur, it was a frustrating night. A solid opening service game concealed what was to come. Both women held serve until the fifth game of the match, when Stosur surrounded a tame break with a double fault – her sixth in just three service games. Just as worryingly, her groundstrokes were yet to find their range against a player who quite simply refused to miss.
One break was survivable, but two?
Stosur’s frustration was palpable towards the end of the first set. Shots she normally dispatched with ease were flying inches out, and Scheepers was chasing everything down. In the end, the South African sealed a comfortable first set win.
The second set was a chance to wipe the slate clean and start again. It just didn’t start well. Another poor service game by her own lofty standards meant that the Australian was always playing catch up.
Crucially, she did start to settle. From that point on the serve got stronger and the ground strokes started to find their range. But Scheepers held strong. Stosur tested her serve in the next few games but couldn’t find a way through.
Then Scheepers broke to lead 5-2. For a moment all looked lost as the South African served for the match. But building a lead and winning a match are two different things, and the cracks began to show in her previously flawless game.
The toss went, she started to push the ball more and Stosur was able to pressure her on the serve.
It worked. A break for 5-3 was followed by a straightforward hold for 5-4. It was the turning point. Breaking to love before holding with ease, Sam had her nose in front for the first time in the set.
An imperious game at 6-5 sealed an easy break – but tough second set – and the world No.5 was suddenly in the ascendance.
The third set was a relatively simple affair, he US Open champion simply dominating the South African.
As Stosur raced to a 3-0 lead Scheepers appeared to be struggling with cramps, but the Aussie had also rediscovered her ‘A-Game’.
At 5-0 it looked almost over. Scheepers briefly rallied to bring the score back to 5-2, but on the South African’s next service game Stosur conjured up two match points.
She only needed the one before sealing a remarkable comeback victory.
“I think I got a little bit lucky,” Stosur reflected after her match.
“She maybe got a little bit tired, a little bit tight and probably a little bit nervous trying to finish the match and then I tried to draw on that. When I got to 5-5 I thought ‘okay, I’m in with a shot if I keep on digging deep and making as many balls as I can’. Thankfully I won that second set and got on a bit of a roll in the third.
“I was thinking that I keep trying to hang in there. You never know what can happen if you do just try and make one more ball. I didn’t feel like I was hitting the ball too bad but I was making lots of errors which obviously isn’t a way to win.”
There’s a re-run of the US Open final in store for Stosur next as she takes on Serena Williams.
“It will be great to play Serena again and for sure I’m going to hit the practice court tomorrow, work on a few things and hopefully come out and play a lot better.”
Follow our coverage of that match on Twitter (@tennisaustralia).
Site Information
- Tennis Australia
- tennis.com.au
- Australian Open
- Australian Open Series
- Brisbane International
- Medibank International
- Hobart International
- Player sites
- Jelena Dokic
- Casey Dellacqua
- Bernard Tomic