Samantha Stosur, US Open champion in 2011 when she beat Serena Williams in the final, said in an interview to the Sydney Morning Herald that she felt encouraged by the win of 33-year-old Flavia Pennetta at the 2015 US Open.
“It’s definitely motivating for players like me. Flavia dropped with injury and has been able to stick it out and put it all together in that right moment, so that it’s definitely possible”, said Stosur.
The Aussie player, who won eight WTA titles, feels that she can add another Grand Slam title to her collection.
“Look. I don’t see why not. It’s obviously very difficult. You have to work yout butt out and a lot of things have got to go right for that fortnight. But I feel like if I am able to train and do all these things, I still think when I am playing my best, my tennis is still good enough to do very well. Whether that’s to win a Slam, who knows. But I still feel I am capable of having good results”, said Stosur.
The 31-year-old player won eight titles and reached the Roland Garros final in 2010 where she lost to Italian Francesca Schiavone but has not reached any Grand Slam quarter finals in the past two years.
“When I was top-10 for those four years or so, you live and die on every single match and it gets really tiring. That’s part of this thinking now: I don’t want to be crazy and be really angry for three days after I lose a match, but also look at it a bit more big picture and realize: OK. there are going to be losses. There are going to be wins and let’s kind of just carry on and roll with everything”, said Stosur.
During the interview to the Sunday Morning Herald Stosur criticized Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios who have made the headlines for their behaviour.
“They are famous. or however you want to put it, because they are tennis players, so I ‘d rather be making headlines for what you are doing on the court rather than maybe silly things off the court or silly things that you are doing on the court. That’s just me and that’s the way I look at it and the way I have kind of alyaws been, but you can’t deny that Bernard and Nick are exceptional tennis players and they have the potential to have great careers, so if I was them, I would be looking at that and thinking: “You know, I have got a real shot to do something pretty spectacular, so put everything into that and do all the other stuff afterwards”, said Stosur.
Stosur has never reached the quarter finals in the home Grand Slam in Melbourne.
“There is only going to be so many summers left for me and I don’t really have much to defend at all, so it’s going out there and enjjoying those moments. Last year I played pretty well and got beaten by Coco Wandeweghe who was better on the day. That’s the way it goes sometimes. I feel like I am doing what I can to have a really good summer”
