"She played really well today, and her ball was heavier."That's the word from Stosur's fourth round opponent Simona Halep after the Aussie came back from the clouds – literally and figuratively – to oust the Romanian sixth seed after a long rain delay. She's now on her way to a French Open semifinal clash with Spain's Garbine Muguruza.
Photo credit : Susan Mullane / USA Today
"If the courts stay like this she has a chance to go till the end, in my opinion," Halep said of Stosur and the moisture-laden courts at Roland Garros.
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Unfortunately, Halep went on to suggest that – as a result of the conditions – she didn't feel safe on court, but perhaps we can just read that as yet another reference to the thunderous power she was facing from the other end of the court.
After starting the tournament with what appeared to be a significant wrist injury, Stosur seemed to feel no ill-effects as she backed up from the Halep win with a comfortable quarterfinal victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, setting up a clash with 22-year-old Muguruza for a place in the final.Despite giving the fourth seed a decade in age, Stosur has arguably hit the form of her life in Paris this year, and with conditions favouring her game (that heavy ball again), a handy draw, and the experience of having been at the pointiest end of the French Open before (making the 2010 final) – many see her as a legitimate title threat.
"I think she could beat Muguruza, definitely," former Davis Cup captain Wally Masur told Fox Sports News. "Muguruza is a big strong girl who hugs the baseline. It's hard to push her around but I haven't seen Sam play this well in a long time, if ever."It's not just the Aussies on the Stosur bandwagon either. New York Times tennis writer Ben Rothenberg tweeted that Sam was right in the mix to win her second Grand Slam (after the 2011 US Open).
As it stands, one more win would see Stosur re-enter the world's top ten players, after starting the tournament ranked No.24. She would also join Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Kerry Reid and Wendy Turnbull as the only Australian women to reach three or more Grand Slam finals in the Open era.If she does get there, Stosur may find herself staring down world No.1 Serena Williams, setting up an intriguing battle as the American hunts down her record-equaling 22nd Grand Slam title. Williams must first face Dutch surprise packet Kiki Bertens.
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After starting the tournament with what appeared to be a significant wrist injury, Stosur seemed to feel no ill-effects as she backed up from the Halep win with a comfortable quarterfinal victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, setting up a clash with 22-year-old Muguruza for a place in the final.Despite giving the fourth seed a decade in age, Stosur has arguably hit the form of her life in Paris this year, and with conditions favouring her game (that heavy ball again), a handy draw, and the experience of having been at the pointiest end of the French Open before (making the 2010 final) – many see her as a legitimate title threat.