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Samantha Stosur vs Lucie Safarova: Sydney International live scores, blog

12th January, 2015
Start: 12:00pm AEDT
Head to head: 9-2 Safarova
Last Meeting: Lucie Safarova – 2014 Charleston – 3-6 6-4 6-4
Betting: Safarova 1.57 Stosur 2.25
TV: 7Two – Check local guides depending on a clash with Federer v Raonic in Brisbane. It will be available online at 7sport.com.au.
Samantha Stosur is on a charge at Roland Garros. (AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY).
Roar Guru
12th January, 2015
162

Can Sam Stosur bounce back from her early exit at the Brisbane International with a 1st round win today against Lucie Safaraova at the Sydney International? Join The Roar for a live blog of the match from around 12:00pm AEDT.

After losing to Varvara Lepchenko in Brisbane in the opening round, Stosur has the chance to make amends with a win today in Sydney.

In Brisbane she didn’t help her cause of not playing well in Australia. At 5-1 up in the final set, Stosur had a match point, but she couldn’t take it against Lepchenko.

What followed was a capitulation as the Australian lost six straight games to lose the match. It wasn’t a result Stosur needed, and wanted, as she tries to overcome a poor record in Australia.

She now heads to Sydney, a venue that used to provide success for the Queenslander. In 2005, as a wildcard, Stosur made the final as she was defeated by Alicia Molik in three sets.

Since then the Sydney event has been a struggle for her. In seven other appearances, she has been eliminated in the first round five times.

This has included first round exits in her last two years in 2012 and 2013. Last year she played at the Hobart International and made the semi-finals.

Today she plays against an opponent who could make it three straight first round losses at the Ken Rosewall Arena.

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She faces Lucie Safarova who holds a dominant head to head record against the Australian. In eleven meetings between the two, Safarova has won nine of them, with Stosur only winning twice against the left hander.

In the last six matches, Safarova has won all of them, with five of them being in straight sets. The last win by Stosur over Safarova was in 2012 in Dubai.

With the form the Czech player is in, it will be tough for Stosur to break that three year drought.

Safarova played at the Hopman Cup last week and was impressive in all three of her matches. She smashed Eugenie Bouchard 6-0 6-4 in her first match before beating Flavia Pennetta 7-5 6-3 in the second tie.

Against the world number 1, Serena Williams, Safarova lost a tight three set match to finish her campaign at the Perth event.

She will be hard to beat today.

Another problem for Stosur is her form against left handers. In recent matches she has struggled against them because her serve goes to the forehand of the left handers.

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Against right handers she has an advantage as her service weapons are hit to their backhand. This changes to the forehand against the lefties, and gives them the advantage.

She will face that problem against Safarova who is a good returner.

This promises to be a big match for Stosur. If she is any chance of winning today, her nerves and pressure of Australia need to disappear.

That is easier said than done but it needs to happen. She also needs to serve well and dictate the play at the baseline.

Plenty of winners from her racquet will hand her the win today. Safarova is the favourite today with the bookies and she is my prediction for the match.

Her form at the start of 2015 has been impressive. Her record against Stosur is also outstanding.

When you combine that with the form of Stosur in Australia, it is hard to see the Australian winning.

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Prediction: Lucie Safarova 2-0

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