Samantha Stosur has won her maiden grand slam title with an emphatic 6-2, 6-3 victory over Serena Williams at the US Open in New York.
- Game, set, match SAMANTHA STOSUR 6-2, 6-3! She does exactly that, punishing a short second serve for a cross-court forehand winner. Sam drops her racquet in shock and climbs into the stands to get to her box. What an amazing victory. A deserved victory.
- Another championship points to Stosur. Sam belts a forehand return on Williams second serve. Ready to pounce on another.
- Williams saves another on the back of a big first serve. Tense. Really tense.
- Williams saves one with a great smash under pressure. Sam running everywhere. Another chance awaits, though.
- Two championship points for Samantha Stosur.
- Sam two points away as Serena sends a forehand wide.
- 5-3 Stosur. Ice cool from Sam. She is just a game away from her first grand slam title.
- Stosur bringing Williams to the net now and passing her emphatically. Top tactics. The serve still doing the job, too.
- STOSUR BREAKS and leads a set and 4-3. Caught the sluggish Williams on her heals a few times in that game by changing up her ground strokes. To say the Aussie looks determined on her way to the change of ends is an understatement. Now comes the tough part.
- Break point Stosur. A massive forehand return winner and a Williams error gives Sam a window.
- First serve percentage has taken off for Williams and got her back in the contest.
- Good to see Sam hasn't gone into her shell after Serena was beating her chest early in the set.
- 3-3. Williams showing off some of her trademark power hitting but a few forehand errors means Sam can hang tough and hold to 30, finishing off with a passing shot winner.
- No outbursts from Williams this time. Somewhat disappointing.
- 3-2 Williams. Stosur with a few unforced errors that game after having only nine up until that point. Ominously, Williams' serve is back on track. Let's see what Serena and the chair umpire chat about this time...
- 2-2. Stosur with a massive hold of serve on second deuce. After all the controversy and crowd hysteria, games are still on serve and she slows the Williams' juggernaut in this second set.
- Two break points for Williams. Stosur saves one BP with a monster down the T and forces Williams into a corner to save the second and send to deuce.
- Serena Williams to umpire at change of ends: "If you walk past me in the hall you better look the other way because you are out of control... You're unattractive on the inside... I never complain... You give me a code violation for expressing my emotions, we're in America!"
- 2-1 Williams. Games back on serve in second set as Serena holds to 15. The American is clearly trying to harness the crowd's influence now and is moving and striking much better. A few deep breaths for Sam.
- 1-1 Williams. Serena break back. We have a match now ladies and gents. Umpire may have inadvertently sparked Serena into action. Stosur saved two of the break points but can't hold off as the crowd, like Williams, finally wakes up. Stosur a passenger in that game as emotion rises in New York.
- Williams has three break points at 0-40.
- Crowd heavily involved now. Booing as Stosur tries to serve. Williams is... slightly annoyed. She wins the first point of the game, jogs to the chair and says something to the umpire (not G'day) and is hit with a unsporting conduct warning.
- 1-0 Stosur. STOSUR BREAKS. Controversy. Serena yells out c'mon on what she thinks will be a winner but Stosur makes contact on the ball. Stosur is awarded the point and game under the hindrance rule. Serena approaches the umpire (no death threats this time) but the chair stands her ground.
- You could hear a pin drop at Arthur Ashe Stadium. A boilover brewing? Let's not jinx it, yeah?
- GAME and FIRST SET 6-2 to Samantha Stosur. Took 31 minutes but seemed much quicker than that. Stosur literally serving herself to victory at the moment. The Aussie won the last 12 points of the set.
- Set points for Stosur at 0-40.
- Service stats: Stosur is landing 67 per cent of her first serves to Williams' 35 per cent. The telling stat so far.
- 5-2 Stosur. She has the DOUBLE BREAK and will serve for the first set! Amazing start. Stosur's composure to be put to the test in the next service game but Williams is hardly mustering a challenge at the moment.
- at 0-30 down the crowd (destined to play a part at some stage) tries to rally their home champion Williams. Doesn't help - three break points for Stosur.
- 4-2. Stosur holds to love and maintains the break. This is a dream start now. Sam's serve has been the platform for the early jump. Williams' serve to be put to the test again.
- 3-2 Stosur. Williams holds in deuce with a big ace but she trudges to her seat, head down. All the momentum still with Sam despite missing a few chances in that game.
- Another break point for Sam at 30-40. Serena relies on some heavy hitting to see it off and responds with a c'mon. That could snap the American into action.
- 3-1 Stosur. Fantastic game by Sam. Caps it off with a trademark overhead. This is a different Williams to the one we saw yesterday in the annihilation of Wozniacki. She is taking her time to find her range and VERY nervous. In contrast, Sam looks to have learnt from her defeat in the French Open final last year.
Stosur needs to make the most of this early advantage. Australia's last women's grand slam winner was in 1980 - Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon. Our last women's US Open champ was the great Margaret Court in 1973. Lleyton Hewitt won the men's 10 years ago in 2001.
- 2-1 Stosur. STOSUR BREAKS. Sam continues to move much better than Williams, sending the American to all corners of the court. Williams also looks very nervous on this occasio, despite being a 13-time grand slam winner.
- Stosur has a break point at 30-40. Williams nervy in front of her home crowd.
- 1-1. Sam also holds to 30. One double fault at 40-0 but the Aussie is moving well and light on her feet despite a gruelling tournament.
- 1-0 Williams. Serena's opening service game is convincing enough. Holds to 30 including one ace and one double fault. Stosur striking the ball well early.
And we are off in the 2011 women's US Open final.
SAMANTHA STOSUR (AUS)
Age: 27
World ranking: 10, seeded 9
Born: Brisbane
Best grand slam performance: Finalist (2010 French Open)
SERENA WILLIAMS (USA)
Age: 29
World ranking: 27, seeded 28
Born: Saginaw, Michigan
Best grand slam performances: Champion.
Australian Open (2003, 2005 2007, 2009, 2010)
French Open (2002)
Wimbledon (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010)
US Open (1999, 2002, 2008)
- Players are warming up and unfortunately there is a little bit of rain in the air. Here's hoping it holds off.
- Welcome to our live coverage of the US Open women's final between Australian ninth seed Samantha Stosur and 13-time grand slam winner Serena Williams. Players are on court. Stay tuned.
Tags: tennis, sport, united-states, australia First posted September 12, 2011 06:45:43
No comments:
Post a Comment