Samantha Stosur admits splitting with her long-time coach nine days out from the US Open wasn’t flash timing.
Stosur will enter the final grand slam of the year starting on Monday without David Taylor for the first time in almost six years.
Australia’s big title hope beat every single player currently ranked in the top 10 during that highly successful period, including all-conquering world No.1 Serena Williams in the 2011 final in New York.
But the 29-year-old’s preparations for this year’s event took a surprise twist when Stosur announced she had parted ways with Taylor less than a fortnight after downing world No.2 Victoria Azarenka for the first time in nine meetings in the final of the Southern California Open.
The breakthrough victory over the two-time Australian Open champion ended a two-year title drought for Stosur.
“Dave and I, we had been together for a long time. It was almost six years,” Stosur said on Saturday.
“We had some great moments in that period of time. (But) as these little periods have gone on, I think we both were kind of feeling that we’d almost come to the end.
“Unfortunately, it happened to be last week. I don’t think, neither of us, I’m sure, would have wanted it to happen right then, and obviously with winning that tournament almost makes it seem a little bit strange.
“But I think we both felt that it was time and, if something’s time is up, then you’ve kind of got to call it a day.”
Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik, another former pupil of Taylor’s, will assist Stosur during the US Open, with the world No.13 in no rush to appoint a long-term replacement.
“I want to make sure it’s the right decision and someone that I feel like can make a long-term commitment to it, so whenever that ends up being it’s going to be it,” Stosur said.
Stosur is the only player to defeat Azarenka on American hardcourts this season, the victory reversing a tight three-set quarter-final loss to the world No.2 in New York last year.
That success amid nine wins from her past 11 matches on US cement have fuelled her belief that she can make another run at the title.
“She’s obviously playing quite well at the moment. That was a really good breakthrough for me,” Stosur said.
“I hadn’t obviously beaten her before, and then to do it in the final and maybe on a surface where I actually hadn’t realised that was (likely).”
With a summer of winning tennis under her belt, Stosur arrived at Flushing Meadows happy to meet up with a qualifier in her first match.
The 11th seed takes on young American prospect Victoria Duval on Monday (Tuesday AEST) and won’t obsess about formulating a game plan for an opponent she knows little about.
“Sometimes it’s easier to not know them and to just see what they do in the warm-ups and just adjust accordingly,” Stosur said.
