Australia has its first French Open semi-finalist in 12 years after Samantha Stosur cruised to a straight sets win over Romanian schoolgirl Sorana Cirstea on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Queenslander wrapped up her 6-1 6-3 quarter-final victory in 85 minutes at Roland Garros, paving the way to her first grand slam semi-final.
While the win was a career best for Stosur, it also marks the first time Australia has had a semi-finalist at the claycourt grand slam since Pat Rafter in 1997.
Nicole Bradtke (nee Provis) was the last Australian woman to make the elite final four 21 years ago.
Stosur admitted to feeling nervous before walking on to centre court to face Cirstea, but was now feeling “over the moon”.
“I’m happy, excited, every single positive emotion I think possible at the moment,” a beaming Stosur told reporters.
“Before the match, sure I was nervous but once I got out there I felt good and felt fine and comfortable and just wanted to play and thought I did a good job.”
The Australian, who is seeded No.30, will face Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in their semi-final showdown on Thursday.
Kuznetsova endured a mammoth fight to overcome world No.2 Serena Williams 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 7-5 in their quarter-final on Wednesday.
Stosur has only faced Kuznetsova once before, when they were in the round of 16 in Bali in 2004 when the Russian won in straight sets.
If Stosur continues her golden run, she will become the first Australian woman to reach the final since Wendy Turnbull in 1979.
The last Australian woman to clinch the title was three-time winner Margaret Smith-Court in 1973.
Currently ranked at No.32 in the world, Stosur is expected to rocket up the ratings after the Open.
It was the first time for both Stosur and Cirstea that either had appeared in a grand slam quarter final when they went head-to-head on centre court in Paris.
The 30th seeded Australian got off to a dream start by breaking Cirstea twice in the first set to quickly race into the lead thanks in part to a double-fault by the 19-year-old Romanian.
The second set began as a much tighter encounter, with Cirstea always threatening and making Stosur fight hard for every point.
But the Romanian failed to convert eight break points, while Stosur broke her twice to notch up a 4-1 lead thanks to the pin-point accuracy of her forehand and some brilliant volleys.
Cirstea finally converted a ninth break point in the sixth game of the second set.
But it was too late for a fightback, as Stosur came from behind in the ninth game to clinch the match after once again breaking Cirstea.
“I think the first four or five games (of the second set) she had game points in every single one but I was 4-1 up so I am just really pleased that even though I may have been down in the game I could hang in there and fight my way back and if she was going to win the game she had to earn it from me,” Stosur said.
“I wasn’t going to give anything away today.
“And again, (I was) 40-15 down in that last game, but I just kept my head down and made her earn it and I ended up breaking.”
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