Reigning US Open champion Samantha Stosur hopes her win over Serena Williams has given her the confidence to meet the high expectations of her home crowd at the Brisbane International beginning Sunday. Stosur has not played a tournament in Australia since her stunning straight sets victory over Williams at Flushing Meadows in August. The 27-year-old was born in Brisbane and grew up on the nearby Gold Coast, but has so far failed to make an impact at the Brisbane tournament, seemingly struggling to cope with the high expectations from her home crowd.
“I’ve achieved the one thing that I’ve always wanted to,” she said. “Maybe I can now, in some ways, relax and really enjoy every single moment. “I think at least having that (Grand Slam) under your belt is a huge confidence booster and hopefully it definitely will help me in the future.”
