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PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 25, 2006

Samantha Stosur

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Sam, please.

Q. Are you tired?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yup (smiling). Now that I've stopped, I kind of feel like I hit a wall. But still playing that doubles match, I mean, I felt good. I really found some energy, was fine during that match.
Now that I've stopped, yeah, kind of ready to lay down.

Q. You had to go three sets in the doubles match, too.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I guess today I'm not allowed to win a tiebreaker. It's a bit hard (smiling).

Q. Just some comments on your match with Lindsay, what it was like playing against her.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I mean, I thought it was a great match. I mean, I thought I played really well, really gave it everything I had against her. She just got me.
I mean, we played each other a couple of weeks ago in LA. I mean, this match was, I'm sure by far a better standard. I think she played better and I played better.
You know, I did a lot of things well out there that earlier in the week I probably wasn't doing as well, I'd been able to work on, and today it really came out that I improved a couple of things. I was really pleased with the way I played. Missed a satellite point. Missed a second serve return, which kind of sucks. That's the way it goes sometimes.

Q. You were pouncing on her second serve all day.
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, I mean, the way I play, I'm always trying to be aggressive. I think for me to be playing well I need to be doing that. You know, I think when I didn't do that, that's when I hit those miss-hits, struggled to get in the points.
Especially someone like her who hits the ball extremely well, is a big hitter, you really need to take it to them. You can't just put the ball in the court and hope they're going to miss or hit it straight back to you. It's not going to happen.

Q. Did you gain confidence playing against her the last time?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Oh, for sure. I think having played her a couple of weeks ago, getting a win, definitely boosted my confidence. I'd never beaten someone in the top 10 before. I played her a couple of other times and lost. I think for sure having that win definitely helped me out there today, just so that I could kind of believe in myself and know that I could do it.

Q. What differences do you see in Lindsay's game two weeks ago versus today?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think today she definitely moved a lot better. I think everything. Like her serve was a lot better. She kept her first serve pace. I think her placement was a lot better today as well. I think a big thing was her movement.
Last week I felt like as soon as I got one ball a couple of steps away from where I was kind of in charge of the point, could really stay on top, today it was a lot harder to do that.
I think those two things were probably a big aspect as to why she played better.

Q. Do you worry at all about playing too much tennis this week heading into next week?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I don't know. I mean, yeah, I've played a lot of matches. I mean, you don't get too many weeks where this actually happens. I haven't had to deal with it before. We'll be playing tomorrow night so I'll be able to rest during the day. We'll just have a light hit before we play. I don't know. We'll wait and see.
If I'm in the half that plays Monday or Tuesday. And if I play Tuesday, I'll probably just take Sunday off.
I don't know, I mean, I feel like I'm pretty fit. I mean, I've got good stamina. I've been able to keep it this week. Hopefully going into New York, it's always exciting. You get a bit of a buzz going there. With all that, I think I should be okay.

Q. Is there something to be said perhaps building momentum?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I'm really happy with the way I've been playing. Definitely I would rather have had this result and played this many matches leading into next week than not having this many matches.
I mean, I've played a lot, so I think I'll be ready to go.

Q. What is it about the chemistry between you and Lisa that works so well out there?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I just think obviously we know each other's games really well. We can kind of tell if one is down, not doing something quite as well. I think we just back each other up really well. When one of us is struggling, we don't get angry at each other. We kind of stick by 'em. I think we believe in each other that we can pick it up, and eventually we kind of do. I think just having a good relationship is vital on a doubles court.

Q. Is there something about the doubles that's helping you hone your singles game?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: I think definitely when we first started having this doubles success it definitely helped me. I mean, it still is. But I think playing Grand Slam finals and getting to the end of tournaments and being there on the final day is a different feeling to what I was used to a lot of the time.
Even though it was doubles, it certainly has prepared me for those bigger matches out on center courts, playing in that sort of environment.
And then on the court, as far as my game, I've been able to work on my serve and volley, work on my volleys a lot. I try to mix it into my singles as well. Every day I go out and do it in doubles. I know that I can do it, and I can kind of back myself with that a little more.

Q. How did the pairing with you and Lisa come about?
SAMANTHA STOSUR: She asked me during Wimbledon last year, then we played together in Stanford last year was our first tournament. Yeah, she was looking for a partner. Kind of, I guess, took a bit of a chance asking me. I didn't want to let the opportunities kind of slip through my hands. I said yes. We kind of both are very happy we ended up working it out.

End of FastScripts...

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