Stosur delighted after tough Sydney win

Sam Stosur believes her hard-fought win over world No.16 Lucie Safarova at the Sydney International is the tonic she needs ahead of next week’s Australian Open in Melbourne.

It was the first time since 2011 that Stosur has progressed to the second round in Sydney and the first time in seven encounters she’s beaten the 2014 Wimbledon semi-finalist.

The 20th-ranked Queenslander prevailed 7-6 (7-3) 5-7 6-3 in a tough contest that lasted just over three hours in windy conditions.

Stosur will now face Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova in the second round after world No.4 Caroline Wozniacki’s shock retirement with a wrist injury midway through the second set.

Zahlavova-Strycova won the first set 6-4 but Wozniacki, who was attended to by the courtside trainer on numerous occasions, forfeited in the second with the score tied at one-all.

Rain took Stosur and Safarova off court on two occasions in the opening set but the Australian held her nerve to take the tiebreak after earlier saving four break points.

She then hit back from 4-1 down to level the score at 5-all in the second before Safarova broke her for a third time and made it 1-1.

The turning point came in the deciding set when Stosur recovered from three break points down to go 3-2 ahead and then take a 4-2 lead after the Czech double faulted on back-to-back points – allowing her to close out the victory.

“The stop-start kind of spinning rain and the wind was really tricky out there,” Stosur said.

“It wasn’t like a constant breeze. It was going all different directions

“You mix that with a quality opponent down the other end, and it was certainly a really tough match. I am very happy to get through that one.”

Stosur crashed out in the first round in Brisbane last week and the 30-year-old said coach Simon Rea had given her some ideas about ending her wretched run against the Czech left-hander.

“Simon brought a couple different things to the table and we spoke about that,” she said.

“I think it was the last six or seven times I have lost to her, even though a lot of those have been very close.

“He obviously thought I should try something different and kind of change what I was trying to do on return a little bit.

“But at the of the end day, it was more about going out there and trying to compete as hard as I can and play aggressive and do the things that I do well.”

Stosur is in a great position to progress to the quarter-finals after Wozniacki’s withdrawal but the former French Open champion said the experienced Czech, who she has never faced before, is a dangerous opponent.

“I don’t think I’ve played her but she had one of her best seasons ever last year,” she said.

“I guess I can enjoy this for a little bit but and be back at it tomorrow.”

Australian world No.68 Jarmila Gajdosova, who was given a wild card for the tournament, shocked the 13th-ranked Anna Petkovic of Germany 6-1 7-6 to reach the second round.

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