Sam Stosur stepped rather than stormed her way into her first WTA final of the year in Qatar last weekend.
Although beaten in the final by world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka 1-6 2-6 in a brief and one-sided affair, Stosur’s fans could be forgiven for feeling a touch confused at her quick recovery after an utterly underwhelming Australian summer of tennis.
After her U.S.Open victory last year the American media embraced the Australian underdog, albeit in a no-frills way. Sam was no Maria Sharapova, nor did she pretend to be.
But her victory anointed her as the new ‘darling’ of Australian tennis. It catapulted her into the media spotlight and great expectations followed. Australia Post even produced a souvenir stamp sheet to celebrate the occasion.
In the lead up tournaments to the Australian Open we forgave Sam when she lost in the second round of the Brisbane International to 48 ranked Czech, Iveta Benesova, 4-6 2-6. The press said Sam was not dwelling on it.
The Sydney International loomed large and so did our expectations. Another first round loss to 11 ranked Italian Francesca Schiavone, 2-6 4-6. Hmmm, this was not the form Sam took into the U.S. Open.
An embarrassed silence enveloped the media and television lounge rooms as we struggled to come to grips with our newest hope.
Then the shock first round loss to 59 ranked Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-7 3-6 and her dream of a home Grand Slam victory shattered, without having gained an ounce of momentum.
In her post-match media interview Sam was upset, but stoic:
“I’m probably very close to crying, having a really awful night…” she said.
“It’s hard to suppress those emotions when it means so much to you.”
So Sam said she was going to take a break, get away, move forward, relax, enjoy herself, away from the burden of expectation. And she did.
There was nothing wrong with her tennis. In the first round of Fed Cup against Switzerland in Freiburg two weeks later she lead the Australian contingent, winning both singles matches in straight sets, with Australia coming away with a 4-1 victory.
Then in Doha last week defeating four credentialled players before a retirement (from injured Marion Bartoli in the semi-final) allowed her to step into the final.
Although she was thrashed by Azarenka in that final 1-6 2-6, her performances to get there beg the question: Why is it that the weight of home expectation bears such an unforgivable burden?
My guess is that the answer to this question is vexed with complexity.
In the meantime Stosur’s fans can only hope that in time she will learn to embrace the spirit of expectation rather than fear it.
Trav
Guest
Women's tennis is a bit of a joke due to the inconsistency among the players. There is nothing worse then watching a game filled with unforced errors with very few winners. Players like Serena Williams can play some of the worst tennis imaginable and still find a way to win. You could make an arguement that this is a sign of a true champion but i just think its laughable and very painful to watch. Stosur might have been crushed by the weight of expectation in the past but these days i just expect her to stink/choke/crumble (take your pick) at some stage in the tournament as do the majority of other Australians and media. I hope she wins another grand slam but i have no expectations on her.
amazonfan
Guest
I don't like the word fluke, however quite a few players have an incredible two weeks which result in winning a slam. Most players, afterall, don't win multiple slams. As for the players you mentioned, I think she's above Gaudio (he hasn't done anything else), but on the same level as Cash. However I think they are all below Ivanisevic, who was one of the best players of the past two decades.
amazonfan
Guest
When Cash made the final of the Australian Open in 1988, it was on hard court.
SE Informer
Guest
So what is it that separates say, the top 3 or 4 players from the rest in the top 10. In the men's game it would be easy to explain it in terms of number of Grand Slams. No one disputes that Djockovic, Nadal and Federer are incredible players and Andy Murray is desperate to edge in to that elite group. In the women's game there is a similar bunching at the top with Azarenka remaining undefeated this year and the likes of Kvitova and Sharapova showing consistency. I don't think however that we're going to see the dominance of say a Martina Navratolova in the womens game for a long time.
clipper
Guest
matt, I don't think Gaudio could be put in the same class as Sam - he never troubled any other tournament than the one he won. Pat Cash would be comparable - got into the top 5, won 1 lost 2 finals. I would put Sam on a comparable level with Pierce or Martinez - good players who could shine once in a while, but not consistently.
B.A Sports
Guest
I think Stosur can go in the same class as Cash. Or at least in the discussion. Cash won 1 Wimbeldon title and finaled twice at the Aus Open (all Grass court events). With Stosur you can make the argument she can play well on both hard and clay.
matt
Guest
Gucci, you are being awful generous putting Sam up there in the same class as Cash, Ivanisavic or Gaudio
clipper
Guest
Gucci, I think if you can play above your normal standard for 2 weeks you would completely deserve the title. A bit of luck sometimes goes with it - be it the draw, a couple of seeds going, or in the case of Ivanisevic in the semis where he was down and out to Tim Henman, the weather intervened, he came back fresh the next day and won. But I think your point is not everyone can be a Federer / Serena etc and win or get to the semis consistently.
B.A Sports
Guest
I don't think anyone expects her to dominate. But she has won a grand slam (on hard court) and made a Grand Slam final (that she should have won, or at least gone closer) on clay. She has also made the final four of the last two WTA Championships (which only ever has a strong field), so i think she is where she should be. A top 10 player (Top 5 at her best) capable of winning on any given day.
Gucci
Guest
Could it also be that she fluked the US Open? When I say fluke I don't mean she completely doesn't deserve it, but I mean she played well above her usual standard for 2 weeks. Think Pat Cash, Ivanisevic, Gaston Gaudio. I'm sure it's very difficult to be at the level she is already, but it would be a completely different category to be able to consistently dominate: if you've it you've got it, but if you don't you'll never get there.