The Baseline Player of the Week: Samantha Stosur

May 28, 2017
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The Baseline Player of the Week: Samantha Stosur

The 33-year-old held onto her No. 1 Aussie spot by her fingertips

Published May 28, 2017

Every week Baseline will select a “Player of the Week.” That athlete may not always win the highest category tournament that week, but perform the best compared to their recent playing history.

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Samantha Stosur has accomplished a lot over the course of her career, winning the 2011 US Open and reaching the 2010 French Open final, as well as climbing as high as No. 4 in the rankings. But perhaps being the highest-ranked Australian since Oct. 6, 2008, is her most impressive feat of all.

On Saturday in Strasbourg, the 33-year-old came within a set of losing that distinction against the Australian one spot behind her, Daria Gavrilova. But the world No. 24-ranked Stosur recovered to win, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

"I definitely was expecting a tough match against Gavrilova],” Stosur [said. “I knew the match would probably be long and tiring, very physical, and she certainly made me work very hard for it. I tried to hang in there, especially when she was playing very well at the start of the match.”

She also showed throughout the week that she may be a threat once again at Roland Garros. After dropping a total of two games in the first two rounds of the tournament, Stosur beat Carla Suarez Navarro and Shuai Peng in straight sets.

"I like it here very much, especially the last three years. I’ve played really well, winning the tournament twice,” said Stosur, who accepted a wild card into Strasbourg. “I hadn’t planned to come this year, but it was a great decision in the end.”

The nine-time WTA champion has been a role model for her fellow Australians for years. Just ask her opponent in the final, Gavrilova:

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The No. 23 seed in Paris will kick off her campaign for a second major title against Kristina Kucova on Monday.

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