Posts Tagged ‘US Open 2011’

Sam delivers

Sam delivers

30 September 2011

To honour Sam Stosur’s triumphant 2011 US Open win, Australia Post has produced a souvenir stamp sheet in celebration. The souvenir stamp sheet features 10 x 60c Southern Cross stamps with Sam Stosur holding the US Open Cup on the stamp tab. Images of Stosur with her winner’s cup and scenes from the match feature on the border of the stamp sheet. The souvenir stamp sheet will retail for $15.95. If you would like to purchase this limited edition product, please visit Australia Post online. For any orders of 10 sheets or more, receive free postage and handling. The stamp sheet will be on sale from today, 30 September 2011, until stocks last.

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Thank you everyone

Thank you everyone

16 September 2011

Hi Everyone, I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years. It is a dream come true to win the US Open and I still can't believe it has happened. I will enjoy a few days at home once I arrive so I look forward to maybe seeing some you when I'm there. Thanks again! Sam

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Sam celebrates in Times Square

Sam celebrates in Times Square

13 September 2011

Samantha Stosur, with the US Open trophy in hand, is ready to handle the pressure at January’s Australian Open in Melbourne. Her coach David Taylor believes Australia’s latest grand slam champion will be prepared to handle the wave of expectation that will hit her during the Australian summer. “I think she handled herself well in Australia [this year] but I think she learnt more than anything else,” he told AAP. “What a learning experience being on billboards and being on TVs. She is ready for that now and much better prepared. “I really look forward to her doing well in Australia, that is a massive dream for her.” Despite her growing status in the sport, Stosur has enjoyed only a fraction of the attention at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Opens compared to her home slam. “We’ll see how I handle it when the time comes,” Stosur said following her 6-2 6-3 US Open final win over Serena Williams. “But if I can play like I did today, then hopefully it’s all going to be okay.” Since making her breakthrough performance by reaching the 2009 French Open semifinals, Stosur has been rolled by Williams and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the fourth and third rounds respectively at the Australian Open. Taylor maintained his belief that Stosur’s best surface was a slow hardcourt despite her best achievements before Flushing Meadows having come on clay at the French Open. “Sam is one of the people that can win the Australian Open but there are five of them and let’s not forget that,” he said. “She has put in a lot of work on the mental side [with AIS sports psychologist Ruth Anderson] and been open to new ideas. “I can’t say enough about her. She has been able to look at herself hard in the mirror.” Taylor said Stosur had been relentless in her pursuit to improve her game. “No stone unturned, an absolute pleasure to coach,” he said. “She is always just doing whatever she can to be a better tennis player and I have the best job on the tour.” Stosur, who lost a year of her career after being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2007, said the success at Flushing Meadows had made all of her sacrifices worthwhile. “When I was younger, my family gave up a lot,” she said. “My parents and my brothers got dragged through the tennis clubs. “But I’m lucky that I had a really supportive family. “They saw that I had this dream and drive and determination to be a tennis player and none of us knew if that was ever going to pay off. “Playing all those small tournaments and I’ve slept in train stations and stayed in dodgy hotels and done the hard yards through many places, and it is awful. “But it pays off in the end. I’d do it all over again if I had to.”

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Sam sets her sights on new horizons

Sam sets her sights on new horizons

12 September 2011

Having stared down a ranting Serena Williams in New York to win her maiden tennis Grand Slam singles title, Samantha Stosur believes she can claim more. The Australian's 6-2 6-3 dismissal of the 13-time Grand Slam champion in the US Open final on Sunday has shifted a weight from her shoulders. Going into the Flushing Meadows showdown, Stosur had won only two of her 11 career finals, raising doubts about her mental toughness in the clutch. Suddenly with a US Open title in the bag, multiple Grand Slam titles and the world No.1 ranking are no longer pipedreams but realistic goals. "For sure, If you have done it once it would be nice to think you could do it again and at this point in time who knows what is possible," said Stosur, who will return to the No.7 ranking. Stosur erased the bitter memories of last year's French Open final upset loss to Francesca Schiavone by prevailing over the volatile Williams in just 73 minutes. Her coach David Taylor said the victory should free the powerful Stosur up to become a major player at a time when the women's game is crying out for a new dominant figure. "It should loosen you up, you should be able to take a lot out of the situation," Taylor said. "It is a monkey off her back." Stosur's triumph ended a 31-year drought for the nation's women at Grand Slams and placed her alongside Australia's tennis greats Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Margaret Court Smith. There's been a tendency towards older champions in the women's game in recent times with only one of the past 10 majors won by a player under age 25. So there is no reason for the 27-year-old Stosur to stop now after dishing out the American's equal worst performance in a grand slam final. "I think the relief is there because she had this great chance at Roland Garros and people thought that would be her only chance," Taylor said. "Not me. I didn't and now she has won it and she is in the middle of her career and the trend is for players to be more successful later in their careers. "Sam is very fresh and she is so very, very keen." Instead of Stosur melting in the emotion-charged setting in New York on the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, it was Williams who buckled. She has been carrying a toe injury but that didn't stop her from steamrolling world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals. Usually one of the mentally strongest athletes on the planet, Williams was clearly nervous against Stosur who is one of the few women's players able to match her power game. As the home favourite sprayed errors in front of her home crowd, Stosur pounced. With her much-improved speed and footwork on the court, the underdog produced a clinical display to land the first set in half an hour. "After that first set I sat down and I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest, and I thought, 'OK, I'm up a set now," said Stosur. "I've got a chance to win one out of the next two and I've got a chance." But the smooth sailing ended at the beginning of the second set after Williams was penalised for "intentional hindrance" by chair umpire Eva Asderaki. Williams had roared "come on" after hitting what she thought to be a winner, the problem being that her roar came as Stosur managed to get the edge of her racquet to the ball. An already agitated Williams' boiled over, delivering a series of tirades and menacing looks at Asderaki. "Don't even look at me," she shouted up at Asderaki. "If I see you in the corridor don't even walk past me ... a code violation for expressing my opinion, we're in America ... you're unattractive inside ..." The incident brought the crowd to life and the American threatened to produce one of her trademark comebacks. "It was the loudest I ever felt a crowd in my whole entire life," Stosur said. "You're right in the middle of it. "It was definitely a quite overwhelming feeling. "But once I hit that next ball in the court and started playing again, I felt settled." A sense of calm has rarely been associated with Stosur in high-pressure occasions. But this was not an ordinary day. This was Stosur's day and she ripped a forehand winner to not only win the title but bury her personal demons.

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US Open 2011 presentation ceremony

US Open 2011 presentation ceremony

12 September 2011

Sam at the US Open presentation ceremony and in Times Square celebrating her first Grand Slam tournament win.[gallery order="DESC" columns="4"]

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Sam wins US Open

Sam wins US Open

12 September 2011

Sam Stosur is Australia's first female grand slam singles champion in 31 years after pulling off a stunning upset over Serena Williams in the US Open final. Stosur produced the match of her life against 13-times grand slam champion Williams and won 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 13 minutes in front of 23,000 people on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday. The result made her Australia's first grand slam champion since Evonne Goolagong Cawley secured her second Wimbledon title in 1980. It was the first time the nation had claimed the women's singles crown at the tournament since Margaret Court Smith in 1973. "I think I had one of my best days so I guess I'm very fortunate to have been able to do it on this stage in New York where I've always loved to play, so thanks everyone," Stosur said. "Ever since I really started playing and knew what a grand slam was, this was always a dream of mine to be here one day and I don't really know what to say or how how I'm feeling." The composure Stosur showed in capturing her maiden grand slam revived memories of Lleyton Hewitt's win in the final on the very same court against Pete Sampras a decade ago. However the match was not without controversy with Williams berating the chair umpire after receiving a one-point penalty for verbal hindrance. Williams walked out onto court following emotional September 11 tributes ahead of Stosur, with the players hitting up in light rain. Fortunately for under-fire officials, it did not last long and play started on time with a calculating Stosur taking advantage of a nervous Williams to capture the first set in 31 minutes. However the match looked like turning at the end of the opening game of the second set following the controversial decision by the chair umpire. Williams shouted "come on" just as Stosur went to hit a ball on the baseline and the chair umpire penalised the American under the hindrance rule. The decision handed Stosur an early break of serve and it infuriated Williams as she directed some sharp words at the chair umpire. The incident seemed to rattle Stosur for a couple of games but she held tough and took a break for a 4-3 lead in the second set. "I felt the noise going right through my chest it was so loud I didn't really know what to think I just tried to stay calm and think about the next point," Stosur told Fox Sports. "Obviously that fired her up a bit and I was hoping she wasn't going to get too angry and start playing unbelievable ... I was just happy I was able to close it out." The Queenslander yelled out "Come on" as she took a 5-3 lead before taking the match on her third championship point by ripping a forehand winner.

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US Open 2011 final

US Open 2011 final

12 September 2011

Take a look at some of the iconic moments from Sam's US Open 2011 final win.[gallery order="DESC" columns="4"]

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Sam into US Open final

Sam into US Open final

11 September 2011

Update 11:30 am. Samantha Stosur has progressed to the US Open final with a 6-3 2-6 6-2 win over German Angelique Kerber at Flushing Meadows. The Australian completed the victory in one hour and 46 minutes and will play the winner of Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki in her second Grand Slam final on Sunday (0630 Monday AEST). Stosur will pick up a guaranteed cheque for USD$900,000 (AUD$852,000) for reaching the final with the champion earning USD$1.8 million (AUD$1.7 million) for a fortnight's work. Australia has not had a woman reach the US Open singles final since Wendy Turnbull in 1977. The nation's last woman to win a Grand Slam title was Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980. Watch the latest US Open videos with Sam With the men's semifinal between Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray being played at the same time on centre court, Stosur's match on Grandstand pulled in a modest but vocal crowd. The match was pushed onto the No.3 showcourt because of the scheduling problems due to rain this week and court problems on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Kerber had never progressed beyond the third round of a Grand Slam before this run and her lack of experience showed early on as Stosur raced to a 3-0 lead. Not that the Australian was completely comfortable out on court in her first outing against the tricky left-hander despite taking the first set in a touch over half an hour. The unheralded German settled down in the second set and started dominating the match with Stosur's game starting to unravel. Kerber broke the Australian's serve twice and pushed the match into a final set after 68 minutes of action. With the match on the line, Stosur hit her straps and raced to a 5-0 lead in the final set. With victory in sight for the Australian, Kerber rallied to take the next two games before Stosur closed it out.

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Sam’s 2011 US Open

Sam’s 2011 US Open

10 September 2011

Take a look at some of the best shots of Sam's matches at US Open 2011.[gallery order="DESC" columns="4"]

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Stosur’s window open: Navratilova

Stosur’s window open: Navratilova

10 September 2011

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova says that Samantha Stosur has a three to four year window to capture Grand Slams. The 18-time major champion, who pioneered physical training in women's tennis, has long been a fan of the Australian's attacking style of play. Navratilova believed that Stosur's dedication to fitness and lack of major injuries meant she could be a Grand Slam contender for some years. Stosur, 27, has been a late bloomer on the professional tour and Navratilova thought the Queenslander's body was a lot fresher than her own at the same age. "Better late than never, she still has three or four great years in her prime where she can still do some damage," Navratilova said. "There is a window. "In terms of playing hard tennis, she does not have that much wear and tear on her body. "Her body is young and is holding up really well." Also aiding Stosur's cause has been the trend in the women's game towards more mature champions. This year's Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova is the only one of the past nine major champions to have been under the age of 25. Stosur has the chance to reach her second Grand Slam final in Saturday night's (Sunday AM AEST) US Open semifinal against unheralded German Angelique Kerber. The other semifinal is between world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and tournament favourite Serena Williams. The women's final will be on Sunday afternoon at 4 pm (Monday 0 600 AEST).

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