Australian
breakout player Samantha Stosur said Wednesday that she feels in the
perfect position to make an impression during the fast-approaching 2011
season, thanks to her ability to train for the Australian Open at home.

"I'm one of the few players that are here now training - on the
court, in the sun, getting used to the conditions," she told local
media. "I think it can only help throughout January."

World number six Stosur, semi-finalist and finalist at the last two
French Open editions, said that her rivals have to deal with the tyranny
of geography at the start of the season, now little more than a
fortnight away.

"It's not so easy for the Europeans who have been in winter or
training somewhere else. They've got a long flight over here, a short
preparation going into the first couple of tournaments, so hopefully it
will put me into a good spot."

Stosur ended 2010 with a semi-final at the year-end WTA Championships in Doha and is now back training after three weeks off.

She is hoping for a top-four seeding at the Australian Open from
January 17, given the fact that Serena Williams will not be playing.
But the plan requires her climb one ranking place at the expense of
Venus Williams at her first event of the season in Brisbane from January
2, where the Aussie will play as top seed.

Stosur said that the pressure got to her at last January's edition of
the home Open, where she lost in the fourth round. But she hopes this
time will be different.

"I thought I was ready for all the hype and the extra attention, but
didn't really handle it too well in the first couple of weeks. But as
the Aussie Open went on, I started to feel a bit more comfortable and
started playing quite well.

"Now, I think I'll be much better prepared," she told media.

الموضوع الاصلى : Stosur ready to face the pressure in ranking-rise bid المصدر :منتدياتالأكام الكاتب: الأمير

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الموضوع الاصلى : Stosur ready to face the pressure in ranking-rise bid المصدر :منتدياتالأكام الكاتب: الأمير