Australian Sam Stosur will look to put a disappointing Wimbledon preparation behind her tonight when she faces tough Spaniard, Carla Suarez Navarro. Join us for live scores and updates from Wimbledon from 8:30pm AEST.
Stosur has won Grand Slams on hard courts and has reached the final on the Roland Garros clay courts, but the Australian world number five has yet to taste the same success on the grass courts.
“I’ve struggled on this surface because you can’t just hit a good kick serve wide and try and work the point with a forehand to the open court,” Stosur told AAP.
A disappointing lead up saw Stosur crash out in the first round of the UNICEF Open, losing to world #262 Kirsten Flipkens in straight sets.
Stosur will take it one match at a time at Wimbledon around and first off she will face Navarro who has made the Quarter Finals previously at the Australian and French Open’s and her career high ranking is 23rd.
Stosur and Navarro have faced off once previously, where the Australian won in 3 sets on the Miami hard courts in 2010.
Neither player has a good record on the grass and tonight’s match will be a big test, but our Sam is favourite to move on in the tournament and it will be a shock if she doesn’t.
Join us from 8:30pm AEST tonight (Monday, 25th June) as The Roar brings you live scores and updates from this first round match at Wimbledon.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Stosur: "I was very please about how I played, it was good to get over the first hurdle. It was one of the best matches I've played on the grass courts, and coming to Wimbledon earlier has paid off." "Her topspin shots gave me more time over the ball, but I need to keep working on flattening out my forehand and use more slice."
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Stosur will face the winner of Arantxa Rus vs Misaki Doi this Wednesday night AEST.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Game, Set, Match: Stosur moves comfortably through to the second round with a straight sets victory over Navarro. Stosur 66 Navarro 13
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
First match point for Stosur, she leads 30-40 on Navarro's serve.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
That was quicker then Navarro's hold to love. Stosur just one game away from a second round berth. Stosur 65 Navarro 13
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Heads Up!!!!!!! A return from Navarro has just landed 10 rows back in the stands. Stosur up 40-0 on serve.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
That was the easiest game of the match for Navarro, as she holds serve to love. Amazing what happens when you get your first serves in play!! Stosur 64 Navarro 13
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Australian, Jarmila Gajdosova lost the first set in her match with Japan's Morita.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Another comfortable hold of serve for Stosur, losing just 1point. Stosur 64 Navarro 1 2
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Stosur's volleying has deluded her so far in the match. She is struggling to put them away.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Stosur breaks back in the second set as Navarro doesn't win a point on serve. Stosur 63 Navarro 1 2
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
And the ball kid gets hit by a wayward Stosur return.Unfortunately he didn't have the same reaction time as one of our own ball kids in Melbourne. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdT9HSft_AQ
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Navarro breaks back as Stosur slams her backhand return into the net. Stosur 62 Navarro 1 2
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Navarro has the chance to break back here in the 2nd set. She is moving Stosur around the court nicely.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Stosur has the chance to break Navarro early but unforced errors have overshadowed Stosur's powerful ground strokes in this game. Navarro gets on the board here in the second set but is still down a break. Stosur 62 Navarro 1 1
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Navarro is struggling to close out her service game here, we are at deuce for the third time.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Stosur has really been working on her backhand, it was been her worst stroke for a while now, but she has really flattened it out and is starting to hit some winners off it.
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Stosur holds her first service game in the second set, losing just 1 point. It was a dominant service game with Navarro only able to puddle Stosur's serves back. Stosur 62 Navarro 1 0
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Game-Stosur. She has the early break once again in the second set. Stosur is on fire with her ground strokes while Navarro is still having trouble with her serves. Stosur 61 Navarro 1 0
Andrew Potter
Roar Guru
Stosur is on fire!! Up 15-40 on Navarro's serve in the first game in the 2nd set.