Stosur captures Strasbourg title
Sam Stosur has completed a dream Roland Garros build-up with victory over Kristina Mladenovic in the final of the WTA Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Strasbourg, France, 24 May 2015 | AAP/tennis.com.au
Sam Stosur has completed a dream Roland Garros build-up with victory over Kristina Mladenovic in the final of the WTA Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Third-seeded Stosur, who accepted an eleventh-hour wildcard into the event, recovered from a set down to beat the Frenchwoman 3-6 6-2 6-3 to claim her first WTA title since last October, and the seventh of her career.
“I’m definitely happy with my (Roland Garros) lead up. It was a last minute decision to go to Strasbourg but I couldn’t be happier with going there,” she said.
“I don’t win titles every week so when they happen you have to enjoy them. I have now played a good amount of matches and feel my game is in a good place so we’ll see how things go, but I’ve done what I can to be prepared and now it’s a matter of playing well each time I’m on the court.”
It is her first WTA title on red clay, and one she said gives her a big confidence boost ahead of the French Open, beginning Sunday.
“It was a really tough match. She (Mladenovic) was playing great tennis from the first point and I was struggling to get on top of points for the first few games,” Stosur said.
“From the middle of the second set I tried to do a couple of things a bit different and it came off. Started to dictate the rally earlier which allowed me to play better tennis. But even the third set could have been much tighter if she managed to break me at 4-2; thankfully I saved a couple of break points and served it out a couple of games later.”
Indeed, Australia’s French Open finalist of 2010 saved multiple break points to solidify a 5-2 advantage in the deciding set before closing out the match with a pair of aces after one hour and 55 minutes.
Stosur beat a host of WTA young guns en route to the title – earlier in the week defeating Monica Puig, Ajla Tomljanovic and Sloane Stephens – and came through her final three matches of the tournament in three sets.
“It’s always good to win a match you have been tested in. Today to come back from a set down is really satisfying. I hadn’t won so many three-setters of late so that’s also a good thing,” she said.
“It’s not easy to make such a quick turn around to the next tournament but it’s a Grand Slam so I’ll do everything I can to be as close to 100 per cent as possible for my match on Monday.”
There, she will open her campaign against American Madison Brengle.
“The last time we played I won 7-6 in the third (Hobart 2014) so I can’t take anything for granted. She is another young player who has really improved in the last 12 month or so,” Stosur said.
“I’ll have to prepare for this match like any other first round grand slam. Obviously I’m feeling good so will have to try and carry this momentum into this first round match.