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HUAJIN SECURITIES WTA ELITE TROPHY ZHUHAI

November 2, 2016

Samantha Stosur

Zhuhai, China

J. KONTA/S. Stosur

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Not so lucky today. How do you like your performance? How will you expect your next round?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, obviously I'm disappointed not to win, but I felt like it was a good match. I thought she came out playing very well. From 4-Love down in the first set I thought we were really neck and neck. I thought I played well enough, definitely well enough to get myself back into the match.

So positives I can definitely take from it, but of course you want to win. So that's the unfortunate side.

For tomorrow, I feel I want to try and do the same things. I am playing another player who is really aggressive and really goes for it and has a good serve.

So I feel like I probably need to do similar things. If I can execute a little bit better, then I've got a very good chance.

Yeah, no matter what, you have to try and play well.

Q. Curious, what do you make of Jo's rise through the year? It's been quite a lot of improvements. Some of the changes you might've seen in her game as compared to seasons before?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, obviously she's had a great year. She hasn't got herself to 9 in the world without playing well and consistently, and it started off in Australia this year.

To be honest, before this year I had never really seen her play. I don't have a lot to go on, but, I mean, I think when anybody really makes a dramatic improvement -- she's obviously playing with a lot of confidence now. You can tell she's very deliberate and diligent with what she's doing. She seems very professional and I'm sure puts in a lot of time and hard work. That's obviously been paying off.

Then you get a string of matches together and you can have some really great performances. Yeah, I can tell that she's obviously improved. Yeah, she's a very good player.

Q. What changes do you think you'll make heading into your next match?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Playing another player I have never played before, so that's I guess kind of unique these days out on tour.

We've played against each other in doubles and I know that, like I said before, she plays aggressive tennis, got a big serve, really goes for it. She hits the ball hard.

So I guess in a lot of ways it's kind of similar to today. I need to no doubt get off to better starts. You can't be giving these girls head starts by four games and expect to be able to come back every single time.

If I can really just play how I want to be playing, which is like I did tonight, and get off to those better starts, then I think I have a chance.

Q. I have a question about the generational shift. When you were growing up and getting into the game there was a sense that if you didn't peak or start playing top-level tennis at 19, 20 it would be difficult to break through. Now this next generation is seeing players like yourself, like Clijsters and Kerber and Serena all playing very well into their mid- to late-20s and into their early 30s. Curious how do you feel that mentality might have helped you growing up and seeing that people can break through at an older age and how you might feel the next generation might respond to this sort of shift.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I think probably for the next generation you have a lot more hope. You don't have to be this unbelievable talented superstar by the time you're 15. I think for a long time, maybe back 10, 15 years ago when Hingis was winning Grand Slams at 16, 17, if you're not at least top 20, top 10, you don't have a chance.

That's really demoralizing, which I don't think is actually the case. I think she was a big exception. You see this one person and everyone thinks that is the way it has to be. That's a very unique situation. Who knows if that can ever happen again.

I think with the way tennis is now, with it being a really powerful sport, everyone is aggressive, powerful. If they're not, they're unbelievable movers and read the game exceptionally well.

I think it takes a little bit longer to put all these things together. I think in general people are getting bigger as well. I'm one of the shorter players. I'm certainly not tall. So I think takes longer to develop that now as well. 15, 16 years olds around the like that.

Yeah, I think it's great that now that players now can play a lot longer into a career and really have a really long career and enjoy success for a longer period of time.

Yeah, I think it's a good thing that this is happening rather than feeling you have to peak before you're 20.

Q. Some players at your age are retiring, but your still fighting. What is your motivation?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: To try and get better. You know, I love doing what I do. I really enjoy this as a career. When you retire there are a lot more retirement years than what there is playing years.

I think while I can do it, why not? If I'm fit and healthy and can compete with the best in the world, that's what I want to do.

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