After losing in the first round of the Brisbane International, Samantha Stosur says the pressure of playing at home is not the sole reason why she been unable to produce strong results in Australia. In her last four tournaments in Australia, the 2011 U.S. Open champion has only managed to win one match. Stosur will play the tournament in Sydney next week before heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open.
“I don’t know how much of that really played into it,” she said. “I’ve said it before, it’s great playing out on a court where you’ve got the crowd behind you and trying to cheer you on and all that. I know that panicking doesn’t help anyone get a good result or feel better. There is no magic dust that’s going to make anything go away or fix it overnight or anything. I’m not the first player to have their home Grand sSam and not perform. There have been a few Australian and French players, you name it. It’s a tough thing. Again, would I rather have a Grand Slam in my country than not? I would. All you can do is try and play your best.”