Stosur Continues The Fight To Hang Onto A Top 20 Ranking

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 8th October 2013

Stosur Continues The Fight To Hang Onto A Top 20 Ranking

epa03882932 Samantha Stosur of Australia returns to Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic during their third round match of the Toray Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo, Japan, 25 September 2013. EPA/KIYOSHI OTA |

Australian Samantha Stosur is continuing the fight to hang onto a top 20 ranking, with the 2011 US Open winner hoping to make some progress this week in Osaka. She took the first step, winning into the second round in Japan after managing only three third-round placing since lifting a title last August on hardcourt in Carlsbad.

The 29-year-old Queenslander is looking ahead more to the start of 2014 after all but writing off the current WTA campaign. She will begin her season at the Hopman Cup mixed team event in Perth in late December alongside Aussie young gun Bernard Tomic. Then she will be taking yet another run at the Australian Open where he has failed to impress throughout her career, a situation many believe is due to nerves.

Stosur is heading into uncharted territory with the unpredictable Tomic, a talent who has yet to fulfil expectations at age 20. “I’ve never played mixed with him, never been on court with him so I’m sure there will be some fun times and some laughs and hopefully we can combine well,” Stosur told Australian media.

Stosur is determined to finally make an impression on a home court. “Each win or loss is looked at a lot more closely because it is in Australia. Everyone wants you to do well, which is great, but you have also got to handle that as well.”

Topics: 10sballs, Australian Open, Bernard Tomic, Samantha Stosur, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open, Wta