Day one of the Australian Open showed us the mental fortitude of one Aussie under enormous pressure, resulting in a famous victory. Day two, unfortunately, has left us questioning the mental fortitude of another great Aussie player.
Yesterday, Sam Stosur, the sixth women’s seed at the Australian Open, lost her first round match to world number 59 Sorana Cirstea.
While the loss hurt, the manner in which she went out should be concerning.
Instead of the powerful, hard hitting women we saw at the US Open, Stosur was reduced to a cautious wreck whose mindset was one of a player not yet in the top 20 women in the world.
It continues her miserable run at the Australian Open in which she has yet to pass the fourth round of the tournament.
Stosur, I feel, must be a cousin of that dastardly Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
We see the Dr Jekyll who powered her way to two Grand Slam finals with her confident attitude and ability to hang in there. But when Stosur returns to Australia, Mr Hyde comes out as she struggles in her home country.
In the years she has been at her best, Stosur has never looked comfortable playing in her home country. She has only made one final in Australia (2005 Sydney International loss to Alicia Molik).
I don’t think it is her game plan or shots as they, when played, make her almost unbeatable.
I watched her at the US Open and I saw her blast many quality players off the court.
But in Australia she struggles to get herself going which begs the question: does Stosur struggle with the pressure of being the top Aussie?
Judging by her record, you would have to say yes.
While off court in the media she looks confident and brushes off losses, on court she looks overloaded by all the eyes of Australia being thrust upon her.
It’s an issue she must ponder because she must desperately want to win her home Grand Slam. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be a Grand Slam winner or be even good enough to play on the tour.
But what makes it interesting is the converse attitude of Bernard Tomic; the more excitement and attention seems to get him to play at a better standard.
He doesn’t get overawed by the pressure, which is arguably greater on him than Stosur considering our record in men’s tennis (Grand Slams, Davis Cup).
Without sounding demeaning, maybe Stosur should talk to Tomic and ask how he deals with the pressure in a bid to solve her issues.
We know Stosur can win Grand Slams and I predict she will win more over the course of her career. But one has to ponder if she has the ability to meet the expectations upon her when she takes to Rod Laver in 2013 and beyond.
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