Samantha Stosur proves too strong for Laura Robson

Written by: Staff on 3rd September 2012

Samantha Stosur proves too strong for Laura Robson

epa03381130 Samantha Stosur of Australia reacts after defeating Laura Robson of Great Britain during their match on the seventh day of the 2012 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2012. The US Open runs through Sunday 09 September 2012. EPA/JASON SZENES |

(Courtesy of the ITF: http://www.itftennis.com/about/news/articles/stosur-proves-too-strong-for-robson.aspx)

Reigning champion Samantha Stosur proved too strong for British teenager Laura Robson when the two met in the fourth round of this year’s US Open.

Robson was enjoying a career-best Grand Slam performance and had already beaten Li Na and Kim Clijsters on her way to setting up her match against the Australian, but, despite saving eight match points, she could not keep the run going, eventually losing 64 64.

“She hits the ball great and thinks things through. She’s one to watch.” said Stosur, who will play Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals.

Azarenka, the world No. 1 is making her first appearance in the US Open quarterfinals following an easy 62 62 win over Anna Tatishvili. She was impressive in her victory, hitting 22 winners and winning 7 of her 10 break points.

The Belarusian is undefeated in her previous six meetings with Stosur and has not dropped a set in any of those encounters.

Third seed Maria Sharapova is also through to the quarterfinals after a hard-fought 61 46 64 victory over fellow Russian Nadia Petrova. This is the first time that Sharapova has made it through to the quarterfinals since she won the tournament in 2006.

Sharapova was trailing 2-0 in the final set when a rain stopped play for over an hour. When they came back out, the world No. 3 looked a totally different player as she broke Petrova’s serve twice before serving out the match.

In the men’s draw, defending champion Novak Djokovic is through to the fourth round after a comfortable 63 62 62 win against Julien Benneteau. Djokovic, the world No. 2, has not dropped a set in his opening three matches and looks a force to be reckoned with.

The Serb will face Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round after he beat 14th seed Alexandr Dolgopolov 64 64 62.

Andy Roddick, who announced on Thursday that he would retire after this year’s US Open, will not have to do so just yet after he beat Fabio Fognini 75 76(1) 46 64. He faces 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro in the fourth round after the Argentine beat Leonardo Mayer 63 75 76(9).

Roddick, who won the title in 2003, paid tribute to the crowd who will be willing him to go out as a champion. “I’d be an idiot not to use the crowd right now; it’s a huge advantage,” he said. “Each match is almost like it’s another memory.”

There were also wins for David Ferrer, who overcame a tough match with Lleyton Hewitt 76(9) 46 63 60, Janko Tipsarevic, and Philipp Kohlschreiber, who beat John Isner 64 36 46 63 64 in a late-night marathon which didn’t finish until gone 2 am.

Topics: American tennis news, British tennis news, Laura Robson, Samantha Stosur, US Open 2012, Women Tennis