Sam Stosur claimed a promising win in the first round of the Connecticut Open as the slumping Australian star hopes to hit form ahead of next week’s US Open.
The former Flushing Meadows champ needed three hard-fought sets to dispatch of Japan’s world No.32 Kurumi Nara, winning 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (10-12), 6-2 in two hours and 39 minutes at the New Haven tournament.
Nara managed to break Stosur in the third and fifth games of the opening set, but the 30-year-old completed a 5-1 comeback to steal a tie-break lead.
She was unable to survive the marathon second set tie-breaker after failing to put away her 22-year-old opponent from a couple of break leads, but ran out the eventual winner in a cruisey deciding set.
“If you can win every match easily and not be tested, then that’s fantastic – but that doesn’t really happen in this world,” said wildcard Stosur.
“Anytime you can battle through a match like that, it’s certainly great for your confidence.
“I guess it’s everything that you’ve worked on in practice, and then it happens in matches.
“To come out like that, it’s a really great feeling, and I’m happy about that.”
The world No.25 will face rising star Eugenie Bouchard in the next round and boasts a decent track record against the Canadian, including a win in the 2013 Osaka final after retiring hurt from their first clash in Charleston earlier that year.
Australian men Nick Kyrgios, Bernard Tomic and Lleyton Hewitt will have one less mega star to worry about when the US Open finally kicks off after world No.2 Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament on Sunday.
The 28-year-old said he was “very sorry to announce” his withdrawal from the Grand Slam after being hampered by an injured right wrist sustained while training on his home island of Mallorca late last month.
“I am sure you understand that it is a very tough moment for me since it is a tournament I love and where I have great memories from fans, the night matches, so many things,” Nadal’s posted on Facebook.
“(There is) not much more I can do right now, other than accept the situation and, as always in my case, work hard in order to be able to compete at the highest level once I am back.”
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