Q&A: catching up with Sam Stosur pre-Wimbledon
We chat to Sam Stosur following the French Open to get her thoughts on that event and how her game is shaping up ahead of the Wimbledon Championships.
London, England, 20 June 2013 | samstosur.com
We chat to Sam Stosur in the weeks between the French Open and Wimbledon, to get her thoughts on her recent appearance at Roland Garros and how her game is shaping up ahead of the prestigious Championships at the All England Club.
What did you do with your time off following the French Open?
It was nice to have a few days off and come to London to relax a little before the grass court season. I have some very good friends in London so it was nice to stay at their house. They have two young kids, so they kept me on my toes.
On one hand you lost earlier than you hoped at Roland Garros and fell out of the top 10. On the other, you played some excellent tennis and lost to an in-form quality player in Jelena Jankovic, who went on to reach the quarterfinals and nearly beat Maria Sharapova. How do you assess your French Open?
It is hard to leave Paris after losing in the third round and feel great about the tournament but I do think I was playing pretty well. Maybe that makes it more disappointing to lose though as I felt close to having a good event. I love playing at Roland Garros, and really set myself each year for a big tournament there so in the end it was disappointing.
The grass historically hasn’t been as strong a surface for you as hardcourt or clay – will you approach Eastbourne and Wimbledon any different technically or tactically this year?
I do not think I will change too much from other years but I just hope I am able to execute my game plan effectively on the grass. There is no reason I cannot do well on grass and have actually had some good wins at Eastbourne over the years. The grass court season is so short, so it is not like I am going to completely rearrange everything for two tournaments. I will try to work on a few new things this year, but I do know I can play well on grass and have to be more consistent on the surface.
Even though you haven’t had your best results there, do you enjoy playing at Wimbledon?
I love playing Wimbledon and do look forward to it every year. It is such a special tournament and a privilege for all of the players. I have had some success in the doubles so now I just need to replicate that in the singles. The atmosphere is always electric and there are always plenty of Aussies to support us. The crowd is able to get very close to the court, so it makes for a great environment to play in.
You can read the full interview at samstosur.com.