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January 10, 2011

Samantha Stosur

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

S. STOSUR/Y. Wickmayer
7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So you got one on the board in Sydney.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, that a better feeling than the last couple years. I thought I played really well today. I was happy with the way I started the match, finished the match.
Yeah, it was a tough first round. Very pleased to get through it.

Q. Looked like you were able to lift your level when you needed to.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I felt like it was pretty tight throughout that first set. Obviously nobody could get a break. She was playing quite well, and I was playing well when I was serving. I thought if I could just get up in one of her service games then I would have a chance to break.
And then I guess when the pressure was on at 5-All, I was the one that was able to do that. And then to get a break early in that second set definitely made me feel better, and then I was able to carry it on for the rest of the set.

Q. A lot's been made of your forehand, but also there was a quite a few crosscourt to backhand winners, a nice few winners. That must be a nice feeling as well.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, for sure. I think it's no secret I think my forehand is my weapon. I think my backhand has improved and gotten better as I've got better. So it's not, I don't think, a huge weakness anymore. When I'm hitting it well, I can manage to hit a few winners off that side as well.
I guess I was able to do that today, which was nice.

Q. Particularly nice one to get the breakpoint.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, absolutely. I guess when you can set up and then if you have a target it's even better. Yeah, I think my backhand has got better, as well as the rest of my game has.

Q. I know this time last year we were talking to you about you felt like you weren't managing the expectations of your home country being the No. 1 player because it was new to you. Clearly that's no longer giving you issues.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I think I learned a lot of from last January and all of 2010, to be honest. So maybe I was a little more prepared for it this year. I think you can only get better with handling it the more you experience tit.
The best players in the world have it day in and out for a long period of time. I'm sure as they stay at the top of the rankings they get more used to it, as I'm trying to now as well.
It's just one of those thing. It's certainly a good thing that I think there's more spotlight on you and more attention. It's probably because you're doing something better than what you have before. It's just one of those things you've got to get used to it, and I think I'm doing it much better this year.

Q. How disappointed were you to go out the way you did in Brisbane? Did you get over that quickly and refocus?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I was disappointed, but you couldn't dwell on matches too long. I think Jarka played very well against me. I had a chance in that second set and wasn't able to take it. Overall, I thought she played extremely well.
It's easier to take loss like that than if you fall down in a heap. So it's always disappointing to lose. But like I said, there's always next week. They come around pretty quick, so you can't dwell on losses for too long.

Q. How much better was today than last week?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I thought I played very well today. It was a bit of a different match than last week, a different opponent obviously and different conditions.
Overall I was really pleased with the way I played today; good way to start the Sydney tournament.

Q. Your reward is Svetlana Kuznetsova. Second round doesn't get any easier, does it?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: No, there's not too many rewards when you get through matches in these kinds of tournaments. Everyone is pretty tough.
Sveta is a two-time Grand Slam winner, so it's always going to be a tough match against her. We've played each other plenty of times, and I've had wins and losses. Hopefully tomorrow I can play like I did today, and hopefully it'll be a good one for me.

Q. What about your serve today?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I was pretty pleased with it. I thought I served better than what I did last week. Probably better percentage and just better overall choices I think with what serve I was trying to hit and when.
I think to go through a match not losing serve probably means you were serving quite well, so I was happy with that.

Q. Your ability to seize the moment, the two breakpoints, that's obviously got to make you happy. I suppose it's a sign of class that you're able to rise at the right time.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I think against a player like her you might not get too many chances. She was hitting quite a few aces at the start and she's got a good first serve. I guess when you've got that opportunity, if you get a second serve or you get the ball back into play, you really want to make the most of that chance because you may not get another one for the rest of that game, or, who knows, for the rest of the set.
So I thought I put myself in a good position throughout that first set especially to really hang in there, stay tough on her service games, and try not to give too much away and really maker earn it.
And then as soon as I got up in one of her service games I got able to break. So, yeah, it's definitely pleasing to get two for two.

Q. Is it also a matter of getting used to serve and service directions of your opponent? The first couple games she hit ace after ace almost and then you could cope with it.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, like I said, she's got a good first serve and she was hitting it very close to the lines at the start of the match. I think as the match goes on I was able to read it a little bit better and maybe pick where she was serving a little more and just keep getting them back into play.
Then I had a chance to hit a second serve, and tried to step in and do something with it. Yeah, when you're hitting close to the lines, you're that close in or that close out. So when it's tight, sometimes they go out. I think that kind of happened today a little bit.

Q. You said you handle the pressure better now than last year. Is the pressure and the expectations not higher than last year?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah I think they probably are. I think given the year I had in 2010 overall, there's more expectation to do well for sure. But like I said before, I think you can only get better at handling that the more you experience it and the more you have attention on you.
Being from Australia with a Grand Slam, obviously that's a lot more than maybe some other countries where they don't have a Grand Slam in their home where that are from and all that. It's just one of those things.
Like I said, in 2010 I learned a lot and had to go through a lot of experiences. That's hopefully going to help me for not only this month but for the rest of the year and the rest of my career.

Q. Were you elected sportswoman of the year?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Well, in Tennis Australia Awards I get the Newcombe Medal. Yeah, man or woman player of the year.

Q. But there is no sportswoman of the year, all sports together?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: No. Well, if there is, I didn't get it, so... (laughter.)

Q. What would be the ideal preparation for you this week? How many matches do you want? Is it as many as you can get?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, for sure. I think it's hard to say five matches are going to be the secret ingredient to doing well in Melbourne. It's just one of those things. I think at the end of the day you just want to play well, whether that's now two matches or three, four, five. As long as you're playing well and feeling good, that's the key, I think.
I would love to win five here, but I've only done one so far. We'll see what happens for the rest of the week.

Q. Is this one enough to sort of sustain your confidence no matter what happens now, do you think?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I think it's definitely a positive having played like this today. So no matter what happens tomorrow, win or lose, I just want to go out there and play well and keep working on some things and keep making my game better. That's all you can do.
If I can do that and I still lose, then you can't do too much about that. I know that Svetlana is a quality opponent, so I'm definitely going to have to play well to get through it.

Q. Many top players have been invited to play invitationals and exhibition games. Did you play any?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: No.

Q. Have you been asked for?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Not that I know of. But, I mean, at this point in time I was happy just doing my pre-season and all my training that I needed to do. For me, playing these tournaments that mean something are more at this stage.
So if something comes along at the right them, then great. But I'm happy playing these tournaments on the tour week in and week out.

Q. So if you had had proposals for last December, would you have taken them? Or maybe they would not have fit in your program.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: It's hard to say. It depends where it is, when it is, and all that. I think I'm fortunate that I can do all my pre-season in Australia and I don't have to get on a plane for 24 hours to get here to play the first event of the year.
I enjoy being at home. If something came around and it was close by, then, yeah, you definitely consider it.

Q. Just wondering what tennis players do with their prize money and endorsement money.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I guess everyone is different. I don't know what the rest of them do. I don't think I'm a huge spender. If I want something I'll go ahead and buy it. I don't go shopping. I like it look at property and shares. I guess the most important thing you is to take advice from people that know better.
I'm a tennis player; I'm not a financial planner or anything like that. I think a lot of it you have to be smart and listen to people who know and I guess set yourself up for the rest of your life.

Q. Do you have property in America?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I base myself in the States, yeah.

Q. Have you noticed this week the crowds bigger or more kids following you this week in the practice courts? Is it similar?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I think the last few years I've played here I've had a lot of support from the young kids to parents who bring their kids here and everyone else. So definitely playing in Australia and being out there on center court I can feel the sport behind me. Yeah, everyone wanting me to do well, that's a good feeling.

End of FastScripts

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