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APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEY

January 12, 2016

Samantha Stosur

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

S. STOSUR/D. Hantuchova

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I guess after yesterday, that fatigue would be part of it. I guess the strokes would feel nice and in groove the following day. Was that part of it?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I thought I played quite well today. It was actually really swirly out there. It wasn't easy to play. It wasn't easy conditions. Sometimes you kind of felt like you would be in position and all of a sudden you're reaching for it.

Didn't always feel fantastic as far as the timing goes, but I'm obviously really happy with the way that I played overall to get through.

I guess my serving was probably the highlight of today for me. Yeah, you battle through days like yesterday to have another opportunity like today.

Q. How good does it feel to be in the quarters for the first time in over ten years?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, it's great. Obviously I've played here many times. Yeah, it's nice to win back-to-back matches. So, yeah, obviously start of the season this is what I want. I haven't been able to do this for a while.

Definitely a good feeling.

Q. How did you feel physically and mentally after yesterday's match? It was so long and hot. Have much of affect?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Actually pulled up quite well. I didn't get home until quite late, and by the time I did that and came back out it was a quick turnaround. Yeah, physically I pulled up really well, so I couldn't complain about that.

Yeah, I guess nice to finally have a straight-sets match, too. Hopefully I can kind of put the feet up for a bit tonight and come back ready for tomorrow.

Q. What's under the bandage?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Just an ice pack. Yeah.

Q. It's not swollen up that much?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: No, no. Definitely not. But you can write it if you want. Be a good story.

Q. You have felt really under the gun in past years going to Melbourne, so this year will be a different feeling when you get down there?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. I mean, yeah, maybe a bit different feeling, but you can only do and prepare what you can do on the day.

I typically like to play matches, and when I'm winning matches - for anyone - the confidence builds and things become a lot more automatic, and then all of a sudden hard decisions become easier.

If that's what I can get out of these last couple of weeks for Melbourne, Then that's great. You know, lots of players go through early losses and then can bounce back in Grand Slams as well.

It's a nice situation to be in, having played now these types of rounds. And to come back from adversity and now today to kind of start better and finish off kind of had everything going on, so it's definitely a good feeling.

Q. It's not fair to call 2011 your breakthrough year, but it was the year you won the US Open. That next year, how much pressure did you put on yourself, not just in Australia, but overall to really follow up that result and improve yourself further?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I mean, I think 2012 is was definitely a hard one. I mean, even finishing the rest of the year that year was difficult. Going back, if you could do it again I would probably change a few things.

You know, it's one of those things. I probably did come to Australia -- I know how hard it is, but the expectation was obviously there. It was like, Well, you won the last Grand Slam, so you're kind of expected then to have another really good result. Obviously would've loved to have done better than I did, but I think it's all part of it.

I mean, in other ways then I feel like when I went back to the US Open, say, I made quarters; lost 6 in the third to Azarenka, so absolutely proved myself that I can do it again, get close and do well in tournaments.

But I think overall 2012 was kind of tough at the time. Looking back probably wasn't as bad as I thought it was.

Q. Maybe you could contrast this leadup to the Australian Open compared to two years ago when you took a different route playing Hopman Cup and Hobart. Does it feel more important to get more matches under your belt now at a couple of Premier level events that are knock-out tournaments and perhaps mean a little bit more?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah. I mean, yes. I guess. Hopman Cup you still absolutely try hard and give everything, but it's not that pressure of points and all this kind of thing. But it's still a really nice tournament to play to have a lead in.

And then Hobart I think definitely served its purpose for me. Had a couple of really tough matches down there. Obviously here you've got a much stronger field, and I guess you're matching up against players that you've got to be beating through quarters, semis, finals possibly.

No disrespect to either of the other events, but this is where the highest ranked players come, so it's a great test to be playing them every single match almost.

Q. With all the experience you've had, the expectations from Australia, going into Melbourne, do you feel like this year you somehow found a different way to deal with it? Anything you've done mentally to change things?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: No, I haven't done anything differently. Last year I handled myself really well and got beaten by a player who played very well on the day, and that's how it goes.

But yeah, last year, looking back on the summer, I don't think that was an issue. So far I've handled it well again. But who knows what the Australian Open is going to bring. I'm still focused on this tournament. When I get down to Melbourne I'll deal with Melbourne when I need to.

I'm having a good preparation. It's all going well. I would like for it to continue this way. Yeah, first round Aussie Open is going to be hard no matter who I'm playing against. You got to take it one at a time.

Q. Sam, I know it's not up to you and you alone, but if you go to Rio, would you want to play mixed doubles there?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, absolutely. I'll play anything I can get into.

Q. Preferred partner?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. I've actually spoken to Peazy a little bit. He's obviously doing great in doubles. Yeah, I don't know. If I could play with him then that might be great. Who knows.

I guess the powers that be will tell us all who and who is allowed to play and then who is going to play with who. That's what I've done so far.

Q. If you were asked, would you play all three disciplines?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, absolutely.

Q. Thoughts on Puig?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I think we played each other three or four times. I've had really good success against her so far. I think Hong Kong we had a close first set; maybe I won easier in the second.

But, look, she's a young player who really goes for broke. She plays very aggressive. On her day, you know, it's hard to play against.

So far I've been able to kind of combat that quite well, so hopefully I can do that again. But she's probably got nothing to lose against me, so you got to take all that into consideration and really be 100% focused no matter what the previous matches have been like.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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