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January 11, 2010

Samantha Stosur

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

F. PENNETTA/S. Stosur
6‑3, 6‑1

Q. Probably not the ideal sort of preparation for the Aussie Open, a first round loss, is it?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: No. Obviously it's not ideal and not the way you want to go into Melbourne, but, you know, I can't think of it as the end of the world either. I've still got a week to prepare and find my game.
Yeah, obviously it's disappointing and not ideal, but I can't think of it as the most horrible situation possible either.

Q. You had a debrief with the coach?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yep.

Q. What did he point out about today's performance?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: You know, he was -- he just said, you know, you're gonna play well again. Unfortunately it's not happening right now when you -- when I want to make it happen the most.
I think that's something I have to really remember, is that I am a good player. I'm gonna play well, and hopefully it's gonna be next week. It's just a matter of learning to deal with everything that's going on.
It is a new thing for me at the moment. Unfortunately, I'm not handling it quite as well. You know, I'm doing everything I possibly can to turn it around. Like I said, I've got another week to work things out. Hopefully it's gonna turn around in Melbourne.

Q. What's the new thing, the struggle?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: The new expectation and everything else. You know, I think since being in Hopman Cup I've come here and I've had a few good really days and kind of felt like I was turning the corner, and then unfortunately this happened. I guess I haven't been rewarded for what I've been working on.
Like I said, I can't think of it as the end of the world. There's always another day, and I'm gonna go out there and practice again tomorrow and keep working on things.

Q. What was missing out there today?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. I mean, I think in patches I actually hit the ball well and played well. You know, if I was able a break serve in that first set when I got my first opportunity, you don't know. I don't think she was playing that great at the start either. I just happened to make the error one shot before her. We were both a little bit scrappy.
If you can be out there and try and win some of those breakpoints, you don't know how quickly things can turn. But, again, didn't happen today.

Q. Obviously you knocked out a lot of really good players last year. Do you actually prefer being the underdog in matches?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I guess in some ways it's easier because, yeah, you've got nothing to lose and you're not expected to win and all that kind of thing.
But you don't play in your career to be ranked 30 and be the underdog the whole time either. It's just something, yeah, it's -- uhm, yeah, you just gotta get used to it.
At the end of the day, you gotta play the same way. It's not like, Okay I got to this point and I've gotta change what I'm doing out there. It's the same thing. You just gotta bring it more often and against better players.

Q. Have you found that you have many more commitments and distractions at the level you are now than a year or two years ago?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, a few little things, but I don't think it's something that's bad. I'm not looking at it as -- it's great. It's positive, and it's what you -- you know, you play to get higher and get better and all of this.
Yeah, it's kind of taught me that the top-ranked girls, you know, they are really good at handling things, and I have kind of have a little more respect for what they go through day in and day out.
But I'm gonna play better than what I did today, so...

Q. How about the conditions out there today?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: It was a little bit breezy at the start. I think both kind of got caught a little bit, and the sun was trying to break through a little bit. It wasn't horrible. It gets a lot windier than it was out there today.

Q. What will be your plan now for the rest of the week?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, go out there and practice and try and play a few practice matches. Yeah, put in some really good few days and go to Melbourne.

Q. You won't go to Melbourne earlier?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: No, it's still good to be here, and easier to get practice courts probably. Yeah, I'll stay for a few more days.

Q. How is your overall sort of confidence level? Does it take a hit today, or are you able to shake the losses off and remain up there?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think that's what I gotta do. I don't have much of a choice. Probably feel better about it even today than what I did about a couple of my matches in Hopman Cup.
Of course I'm disappointed and would rather not have lost today. Like I said, I don't think if I want to be able to turn things around, I don't have much of a choice than to try and stay positive and go out there and continue working on what I've been doing.

Q. Was it nerves that stopped you executing and moving?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think as the match started, yeah. Before I went out I felt really good. First point, great. Then double fault, and another double fault in that game, and then all of a sudden it kind of hit me.
I think I was a little bit shocked by that, because warmup and going onto the court I felt fine. Obviously wasn't expecting it to happen as the set kind of wore on.
But it did, and kind of -- you can't let someone get away with four or five games before you kind of feel into it and start getting some rhythm.

Q. Could you describe that feeling?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, probably just a bit of nerves, and then you don't move your feet to a couple balls and say something to the crowd and they do their classic catches everyone laughs and that's all great.
Yeah, it's not the best feeling out there, but you still have -- I had to try and stick to what I was doing. I was able to scrap out a few points and really stay in there.
Like I said, I don't think she was playing very good compared to what she can either at times. But she was doing enough to be leading on the scoreboard.

Q. So you were both playing a bit under the level you played in L.A.?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I think so for sure.

Q. I guess having a top 16 seeding gives you the added protection down in Melbourne. Does that give you a little more confidence, too, that you might be able to work your way into the draw?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I hope so. It's nice to be seeded in the top 16. Again, the first match is always difficult in a Grand Slam. You can't take anything for granted because you're seeded 16. I've gotta go out there and treat every match that it's gonna be a tough one and go out there and really expect myself to have to play well to get through.

Q. Pretty tough first round match, isn't it, No. 12 and No. 13?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I don't think in this tournament there's really any easy matches. Yeah, every first round is gonna be tough here. Yeah.

End of FastScripts

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