Stosur eases past Czech in Brisbane
Source: Agencies |
January 4, 2011, Tuesday
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TOP-SEEDED Australian Sam Stosur kicked off her 2011 season by easing through to the Brisbane International second round with a 7-6 (1), 6-1 win over Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka yesterday.
The world No. 6 was broken in the first game and had to save a set point before rattling through the tiebreaker 7-1 at Pat Rafter Arena.
Having shaken off the rust, the 26-year-old breezed through the second set and next faces fellow Australian Jarmila Groth at the warm-up tournament for the January 17-30 Australian Open.
"Obviously she was winning on the scoreboard, but she was hitting the ball very well and she's got a huge serve so at the start it was maybe a bit hard to read that," French Open runner-up Stosur, her country's best chance of ending a 32-year wait for a home grand slam champion, told reporters.
"I didn't panic, I didn't start freaking out and thinking I had to play unbelievable to try and get back. I just took it point by point and slowly started getting it back."
Defending men's champion Andy Roddick began his year with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 first-round win over local wildcard Marinko Matosevic.
The world No. 8, seeded second behind Robin Soderling, took just 72 minutes to blast Matosevic off the court as he started his build-up to the first grand slam of the year.
In Auckland, New Zealand, former top-ranked Maria Sharapova overcame a last-minute change of opponent, beating Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the ASB Classic yesterday.
Sharapova was due to play Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro in her first round match, but the late withdrawal of fifth-seeded Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia through illness led to a reshuffle of the draw.
Third-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova also progressed to the second round, beating New Zealand wildcard Sacha Jones 6-4, 6-2.
In Perth, Australia, a jet-lagged Andy Murray won his opening match of the year yesterday but it was not enough to prevent Britain from losing 1-2 to Italy in their opening match of the Hopman Cup mixed team event.
The world No. 4, who only arrived on Saturday, leveled the match by beating Potito Starace 7-5, 6-1 after French Open champion Francesca Schiavone had beaten Laura Robson 7-5, 6-3. However, he and Robson were then edged out 7-6 (1), 6-7 (6), 2-10 in the deciding mixed doubles.
The world No. 6 was broken in the first game and had to save a set point before rattling through the tiebreaker 7-1 at Pat Rafter Arena.
Having shaken off the rust, the 26-year-old breezed through the second set and next faces fellow Australian Jarmila Groth at the warm-up tournament for the January 17-30 Australian Open.
"Obviously she was winning on the scoreboard, but she was hitting the ball very well and she's got a huge serve so at the start it was maybe a bit hard to read that," French Open runner-up Stosur, her country's best chance of ending a 32-year wait for a home grand slam champion, told reporters.
"I didn't panic, I didn't start freaking out and thinking I had to play unbelievable to try and get back. I just took it point by point and slowly started getting it back."
Defending men's champion Andy Roddick began his year with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 first-round win over local wildcard Marinko Matosevic.
The world No. 8, seeded second behind Robin Soderling, took just 72 minutes to blast Matosevic off the court as he started his build-up to the first grand slam of the year.
In Auckland, New Zealand, former top-ranked Maria Sharapova overcame a last-minute change of opponent, beating Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the ASB Classic yesterday.
Sharapova was due to play Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro in her first round match, but the late withdrawal of fifth-seeded Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia through illness led to a reshuffle of the draw.
Third-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova also progressed to the second round, beating New Zealand wildcard Sacha Jones 6-4, 6-2.
In Perth, Australia, a jet-lagged Andy Murray won his opening match of the year yesterday but it was not enough to prevent Britain from losing 1-2 to Italy in their opening match of the Hopman Cup mixed team event.
The world No. 4, who only arrived on Saturday, leveled the match by beating Potito Starace 7-5, 6-1 after French Open champion Francesca Schiavone had beaten Laura Robson 7-5, 6-3. However, he and Robson were then edged out 7-6 (1), 6-7 (6), 2-10 in the deciding mixed doubles.
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