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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2011

Samantha Stosur

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

P. KVITOVA/S. Stosur
7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Disappointed obviously. What's going through your head?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I'm obviously very disappointed to not win. But I actually thought I played really well so... It's hard to walk off the court thinking you played well. It was so close, I mean, that first set.
Don't really know how I lost it, to be honest. Felt like I started playing a bit better and was probably on top of her and then all of a sudden it was gone and I was a set down. I thought she played extremely well pretty much the whole way through.
I think it was a match of a point here and a point there and she got the ones that really mattered. It's a tough loss, but I think I can walk off thinking I played quite well and did everything that I could.

Q. 5-3 up in the tiebreak, it felt like you had the set then. What was going through your mind at that point?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I felt really good, especially the start of the tiebreak, too. I got 3-Love up. Yeah, 5-3, a couple points here and there. One of them she hit a pretty good forehand down-the-line winner. Again, it was not too much in it. Maybe in that tiebreak I didn't make a couple of first serves I think maybe at that point in time towards the end. That gave her a chance at a second serve.
I felt like every time I got the first serve in, I was winning a lot of those points, felt really good. Maybe gave her a chance on a couple second serves and she definitely took advantage of it.

Q. With it being as wide open as it appeared to be, what is your sense of disappointment that you're not into the second week, having a go at your home slam?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, it's always disappointing to lose, especially here I guess. I would have dearly have loved to gone further than what I did. It's hard when you run into an opponent that's playing very well. They're not easy matches to win.
I'd much rather have this scenario than have played terrible and lost it myself. It's disappointing regardless, but at least I played well.

Q. Realistically would you be more likely to win one of the other three slams for reasons of surface and less home pressure?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Every Grand Slam is tough. I'll take any of them. I'm not going to be picky or choosy. Hopefully one day it's going to happen.
Again, I think I did everything right leading into the tournament, during the tournament, and I can't say that, you know, I didn't do this or that or was disappointed in how I handled that or any of it. You know, from this time a year ago I think I've played a lot better, handled myself a lot better and everything else, but I lost a round earlier. What do you do? That's sport, I guess.

Q. Did you feel more home pressure?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, I actually felt good this week, you know. I went about practicing the way I wanted to, playing the matches, the three matches I played here I felt really good and settled and comfortable out there. Really enjoyed it.
You know, I know there was a little bit of pressure, more eyes on me and everything that I do. But I don't think that distracted me in any way.

Q. In reality, that pressure is going to follow you now at every Grand Slam.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, that's right. I think over the last 12 months I've come to realize that it's there a lot more. I guess the top players, they get used to it and handle it better, get through different scenarios. That's why they're the best.
So it's all a learning curve. But I think so far I'm going well. Like I said, I don't think there's anything that I did that was a detriment to my results here. I know that I've definitely improved in that area.

Q. What did Dave tell you a couple things to work on or what was the message or game plan?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think overall I couldn't just hit the ball into her strike zone. I think everyone saw how well she hit the ball. She hit it very flat, quite hard. If I was going to hit it away, I really had to get her away and stretching, and try to make as many returns as I could. Obviously, playing a lefty return is a little more difficult. Try to serve well.
Overall I think I did what I needed to do. I didn't quite do it on those really important points. That's how it goes.

Q. She's obviously on a big roll now. Do you think she's capable of winning the tournament?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Who knows? I think she's a very good player. But there's a lot of very good players still left in. I think a lot of matches she plays, it's probably up to her. She won Brisbane, she's obviously feeling good. Yeah, I think she can go a little bit further that's for sure.

Q. Who is your pick now?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. I still think Kim is playing quite well. Right now there's still 16 players that are in it. I think there's a handful that could do well. So I think it's hard to pick.

Q. What is your schedule from here on?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Fed Cup and all that?

Q. Yes.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. Take a couple days off probably. Maybe go home for a little bit, then head down to Tassie and prepare for that.

Q. After Fed Cup?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Dubai, then I'll go to the States, have a week off, then start getting ready for Indian Wells, Miami, all those tournaments. It's a pretty full-on few weeks still left to go.

End of FastScripts

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