Stosur gets revenge over Schiavone, emerges victorious in the Maroon Group
Hours and hours of practice for the WTA Championships at Doha, including
some of the worst weather the Australian player Samantha Stosur has ever encountered, finally paid off in her match against Italian player Francesca Schiavone. Stosur recovered from a 4-0 fallout to defeat Schiavone by winning six successive games,
and stunning the French Open champion into a defeat in a match which lasted 93 minutes, with a final score line of 6-4, 6-4.
Before the match, Sam Stosur expressed hopes that her strenuous fitness regime would give her an edge over some other WTA players at the Doha event, and offer her an advantage in the oppressive heat of Qatar.
“I practised at eight o'clock the other night and it was probably some of the worst humidity I've ever played in,'' she said before the match. ''It's definitely challenging. I've been here a few days now and hopefully that will help me get through playing
in the heat and everything else that comes with that.” She took the last week off to prepare for the tour finale, and reached Doha three days before her rivals, in order to get used to the area. This will probably work in her favour, as “it’s tough conditions
outside. It’s very hot and humid. So I think conditioning and really being able to get used to the heat before playing those matches is going to be key.”
Schiavone and Stosur’s last meeting was at the 2010 French Open, where the Australian player suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the champion. Stosur herself calls the match “hard to swallow” and doubtlessly, this winning start at her debut at
the year-end Championships must provide great satisfaction to the Aussie. Although the World Number 7 looked out of sorts and bewildered during the first four games, which Schiavone took away easily without giving her opponent the opportunity to progress,
until Stosur kicked up her performance in the fifth game and stunned Schiavone with a comeback. She rang up six consecutive games, leaving her opponent with no response to the onslaught. Stosur wrapped up the set with a loud roar and a clenched fist, celebrating
her first victory. In the second set, Schiavone did her best to keep Stosur on target, and succeeded in setting the balance at 4 all. However, Stosur took the initiative and broke serve as Schiavone balked. This point proved to be the breakthrough, and she
closed the match calmly to leave an impression at her Doha campaign.
This is her fifth victory over Schiavone, with her only loss being the French Open final earlier this year.
Had Stosur continued the mediocre performance she exhibited in the first four games and lost the match, the round-robin setup of the tournament would mean she would still be in the competition, but with the victory she has placed herself in a good position
to qualify as one of the two semi finalists to be selected from the Maroon Group, which also holds Caroline Wozniacki. She is also assured of a minimum cheque for $200,000, and an increment of one hundred thousand dollars for every round-robin win. The Doha
eight are competing for a Grand Prize of 4.55 million American dollars.
However, while her serve may have been enough to rescue her time and again during this match, she will have to up her game considerably in order to compete against Caroline Wozniacki in tomorrow’s match – she and the Dane sensation have split their four
previous career meetings.
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