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AUSTRALIAN OPENJanuary 14, 2013Samantha StosurMELBOURNE, VICTORIA S. STOSUR/K. Chang THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Would that have been the most pressure you have had in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament today? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, I don't know. I wasn't thinking of it like that before I went out there. Of course, I mean, I desperately wanted to win out there today, but I didn't necessarily feel it any more than, you know, my first rounds in Grand Slams. Q. Do you feel like a fridge has been lifted off your shoulders? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Well, obviously I feel very happy, a little bit relieved, and, yeah, just nice to get through that first round finally. You know, from here hopefully I can loosen up a little bit and keep playing better and better. Q. Did you free up in the second set after winning the first? You looked to play a lot more loosely, having won a set? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I was trying to do that. I think having gone through that first set after being down a break quite a few times and then getting through it, it was good. And then getting off to that quick break in that second set I think really then fully gave me that momentum to keep going forward. I'm really pleased that I didn't let that lead go and find myself back at even terms. So it was, I guess, good to get out of that set and then really kick it on from there. Q. You said previously that you had progressed even with the losses through the start of the year. Was this another progression today, do you feel? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, absolutely. No matter how good or bad you play, a win always makes you feel better. I definitely feel like I improved throughout the last couple of weeks coming into this match. Obviously it's hard to necessarily, you know, prove that when you're not winning those matches. But I did feel better, and I think that showed today. Q. Do you feel like you're a long way off your best? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, I still think there is a load of room for improvement at the moment, but, you know, it's just the start of the tournament. Hopefully each match I can get a little bit better. You know, the next round is going to be very tough, and I will hopefully play better again and from there. We'll see. Q. I know you say you don't watch the newspapers and watch the TV, but I'm sure you have heard the comments made about your tennis, talking in the corridor. What's your feeling about that? Grateful for the advice but you'll just do your own thing? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, look, people get asked what their opinion is and they say it and it comes out there. I mean, it's fine. You know, everyone is entitled to think what they think. But of course I have got a group of people around me I trust all year round not just during the summer of the Australian Open. Maybe some people had valid points, but at the end of the day, I'm always going to go back to who I know and who I trust the most. Q. Was it the first serve, a bit of a problem today? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I mean, a problem, it didn't ‑‑I wasn't happy with my percentage, as such. The last few days in practice I have been serving very well, so it was a little bit disappointing that it didn't continue down that road today. But having said that, I think it got a little bit better as the match went on. I thought I returned pretty well today, which I guess especially in that second set gave me that kind of lead throughout that set so I was able to keep going. You know, I wasn't necessarily expecting everything to be perfect today, so it wasn't. I just did enough to get through. Q. Take us down the court level a bit. Was it a bit tricky with the wind? Seemed both players struggled for a little bit for continuity. SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, it was a little bit tricky. Probably the sun more so than the wind down the far end from where I was sitting. You throw the ball up and becomes this massive blur for that first shot you hit. I think we both struggled a little bit where the sun was and the time of the day. But, you know, it's always a little bit breezy out on these center courts. There is a lot of space, so you have certainly got to be aware what is going on out there. Q. She had some lovely down‑the‑line forehands and backhands. She wasn't missing too many of those. SAMANTHA STOSUR: I mean, she's hit some unbelievable shots where, you know, it skimmed this far over the net and hits the corners and then missed. I think that was one thing I did know going into the match, and I thought if I get a hit on the ball I have obviously got to play aggressive and my style and be moving forward. But if not, try and hang in there, because she tended to hit three, maybe four good ones and either going to be a winner or error. She came up with the goods when it counted. Q. Probably go match to match like everybody does. You're probably aware that Li Na is in your top section. Will you watch a little bit of her match? SAMANTHA STOSUR: I'm not thinking about Li Na at all at the moment. I don't know who won that next match or if they have even played next for my second round. That is absolutely in the forefront of my mind at the moment rather than anything else further down the track. Q. Your prospective match, your second round, does someone have a look at that match for you? SAMANTHA STOSUR: My coach will have a look. And depending who it is, we know one of the players very well and one I don't know at all. So I'm sure Dave's out there either watching it or will watch it, you know, before I play, and we can come up with something. Q. What do you have to do better than you did in Brisbane and Sydney? SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, I haven't even thought about it. You're putting me on the spot. (Laughter.) Look, I think there is a few things I can do better, like keep serving well. I wasn't too happy with my return last week in Sydney, and overall I think just probably need to play a little bit better. I mean, we have had some pretty close matches in the past, and last week is certainly going to be a good one to look back on and maybe watch again and see what I did, you know, well and what I didn't do well. I think at the end of the day it's going to be my game, and I've got to focus on that. Q. Sounds like you have a cold, a little nasally. A bit of pollen on the court? SAMANTHA STOSUR: I have had it for a few days and my voice is still a little bit croaky today. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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