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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 15, 2017

Samantha Stosur

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How are you feeling going into this week?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, really good. I feel like I've done everything I can to prepare as well as I can. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well and moving well and feeling good out on court.

So now it's just a matter of getting out there and getting started.

Q. We as the media look that it was a first-round exit at Brisbane and Sydney. Do you think that's hindered you at all going into the Australian Open, or are you still confident with your preparation?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I can't change it. It is what it is. I'm not going into my first round freaking out that I haven't had more than two matches. Like I said, I've done everything else that I can. Obviously it would have been really nice to have played more. But I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person in that situation from the first two weeks of the year.

Q. Is there something you focus on from those losses that you take out that you've tried to focus on the practice court leading into the first Grand Slam?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, like bits and pieces, I guess. I think the first one in Brisbane, I was really happy with the way I played. A couple of points difference, you got a different result. I felt good about that with what I've been doing.

Then last week was a little more of a struggle. But since then I've just really tried to reinforce, you know, the tennis that I know I played my best with, what I'm trying to do, and continually go out and try to work on those things, try to get a little bit better each day.

Q. Heather Watson in the first round. A difficult prospect first up. You've beaten her twice in your career. She hasn't beaten you. How reassuring is that heading into the match?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think it's nice to know you've beaten your opponent before, no doubt. It's a totally different scenario again. It's a new tournament, a new year. You can't kind of rest on those and think, I've done it twice, I'll be able to do it again. You've got to be really focused and clear about what you're trying to do.

I've certainly thought a lot about those previous matches, as has my coach. We've talked about it. I mean, you still got to go out there and execute a game plan and make it happen for yourself.

It's nice to know, but yeah, it certainly isn't going to win you the match on Tuesday. Put it that way.

Q. This is your 15th Australian Open main draw now. Does it seem like yesterday that you were running out for your first match in 2002?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Not really (smiling). But, I mean, I remember lots of different moments from early on when I played. But, look, there's been lots of really good moments. Obviously quite a few disappointing ones as well. Yeah, to be playing my 15th, that's pretty cool.

Q. What is it like at this point two days from actually starting off the tournament?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: In respect to what?

Q. Is there anticipation? Are you sitting there, Let's bring this on?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I mean, I think everyone -- you're hoping at this stage you feel ready, ready to go. You wake up tomorrow, be ready to go. I guess on Tuesday. I get an extra day to prepare. The tension, nerves in the locker room tomorrow.

I can walk in, go to practice, not have any stress tomorrow, whereas half the draw is going to be stressed out tomorrow. You can kind of get used to everything.

There's always a bit of a buzz around when a slam is about to start, first one of the year. I think, yeah, probably at this point everyone's just kind of ready to go. Let's get started.

Q. Is there a feeling of expectation? We talk about this every year, with Bernie, Nick, Daria. They all feel a bit of pressure. Do you feel that as well on your home court?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, there's pressure here. There's pressure at the French Open. There's pressure everywhere. It doesn't matter whether you're the No. 1 in the world. You've got different pressure to the last person in the draw. Everybody's got pressure, but it's how you handle it. It's all, I guess, relative to who you are, where you are in your career, rankings, everything else.

I don't think there's too many times you can walk on a court without feeling that, no matter where you're playing.

Q. It's going to be the 15th time lucky this year, do you think?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Holding a trophy?

Q. Yes.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah (laughter). I mean, that would be, yeah, as good as it gets.

But, look, there's a long way to go. Obviously I'd love that to happen. I guess we'll see what happens after the first round, then if I'm here for the second one we'll talk about it then, then the third and fourth.

Yeah, look, everybody would like to be in that position by the end of the tournament.

Q. Nadal talked in Brisbane about his memory of coming here last year, the tournament being rocked by the match fixing the first day. A year later, Tennis Australia has done a lot to address it. Have you noticed any difference on a player level, presence of some things that make you feel better that there's good vigilance or better vigilance than there was?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think it's definitely more of, I guess, a topic. Everyone's aware of what's been going on, the situation. It's not a great thing for our sport or any sport. We certainly don't want to be going down that road of that continually happening, yeah, making a bad name for everything.

I think it's something that you need to be really strong about, stamp out quickly. Really, yeah, you can't tolerate it. I think surely everybody here would realize that and hopefully have the same opinion.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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