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Stosur struggles to explain loss

احدث اجدد واروع واجمل واشيك Stosur struggles to explain loss

SAM Stosur, dumped from the Australian Open in the third round last night, said she was disappointed as much in the fact she had played well and lost as with missing another grand slam opportunity, after she was stunned by talented Czech 25th seed Petra Kvitova.

World No. 6 Stosur was upstaged on the centre court of her home grand slam by the enigmatic Kvitova 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in 95 minutes. The fifth seed and sole local hope for a women's singles title had been in a commanding position to claim the first set, which she lost in a tie-break before the tall left-handed 20-year-old - who won just her second career WTA title in Brisbane - closed out the second set.

''I'm obviously very disappointed to not win,'' Stosur said. ''But I actually thought I played really well so … it's hard to walk off the court thinking you played well [and lost].
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''It was so close, I mean, that first set. I don't really know how I lost it, to be honest. It felt like I started playing a bit better and was probably on top of her and then all of a sudden it was gone and I was a set down.

''I thought she played extremely well pretty much the whole way through. I think it was a match of a point here and a point there and she got the ones that really mattered. It's a tough loss, but I think I can walk off thinking I played quite well and did everything that I could.

''I felt really good, especially the start of the tie-break, too. I got 3-0 up, 5-3, had a couple of points here and there and one of them she hit a pretty good forehand-down-the-line winner. Again, it was not too much in it. Maybe in that tie-break I didn't make a couple of first serves I think at that point in time towards the end. That gave her a chance at a second serve. I felt like every time I got the first serve in, I was winning a lot of those points, felt really good. Maybe I gave her a chance on a couple of second serves and she definitely took advantage of it.''

Stosur said she felt no additional pressure in her home grand slam event and felt she had prepared and performed as well as she could.

''You know, I know there was a little bit of pressure, more eyes on me and everything that I do. But I don't think that distracted me in any way,'' she said. ''I think over the last 12 months I've come to realise that it's there a lot more. I guess the top players, they get used to it and handle it better, get through different scenarios. That's why they're the best. So it's all a learning curve. But I think so far I'm going well. Like I said, I don't think there's anything that I did that was a detriment to my results here. I know that I've definitely improved in that area.

''It's always disappointing to lose, especially here, I guess. I would have dearly have loved to gone further than what I did.

''It's hard when you run into an opponent that's playing very well; they're not easy matches to win. But I'd much rather have this scenario than have played terrible and lost it myself. It's disappointing regardless, but at least I played well.

''Every grand slam is tough. I'll take any of them. I'm not going to be picky or choosy. Hopefully one day it's going to happen. Again, I think I did everything right leading into the tournament. You know, from this time a year ago I think I've played a lot better, handled myself a lot better and everything else, but I lost a round earlier. What do you do? That's sport, I guess.''

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