Sam Stosur will be looking to make the fourth round of the US Open for the first time since 2012 when she takes on Italian Sara Errani in the third round. Join The Roar for a live blog of the match from 2am AEST.
Not since making the quarters in 2012 has Stosur made it this far at the US Open. The 2011 champion has only made the second round, and first round, in her other appearances in 2013 and 2014. Now the Queenslander has a big opportunity to go far.
A win today, after the shock loss by Caroline Wozniacki, gives Stosur a match-up against an opponent ranked lower than her in the next round. That will either be Flavia Pennetta or Petra Cetkovska, who battle today.
The focus for Stosur though will be getting past an opponent she has struggled against in recent times.
Overall the Aussie leads 5-2 but has lost the last two matches to Errani.
In three set contests, at the French Open and the WTA championships in 2012, the Italian was victorious. Before that though, the Aussie dominated, with four straight-sets wins.
So far the Australian hasn’t been troubled as she has made the third round with two straight-sets wins. She has lost just nine games in the process.
This included a 6-1 6-1 over Evgeniya Rodina in the last round. Impressively Stosur won 92 per cent of her points on her first serve, hit eight aces, and won 60 per cent of receiving points.
If she does that against Errani, the Aussie won’t have any problems against the Italian.
With Errani being one of the smallest players on the tour, the serve of Stosur will be pivotal today. Her top spin and slice from the serve can put Errani in uncomfortable positions. This allows the Australian to win plenty of free points and put her opponent under pressure on her serve.
Her power will also be vital as she moves Errani around the court. Making the Italian move, and hit loads of shots, will be important today.
Stosur is the favourite, and deserves to be so, after her start to the tournament. Errani also conceded a bagel in her last match. This is a perfect match-up for Stosur, and I fully expect her to capitalise on it.
She will win and make the second week of the US Open for the first time in three years.
Prediction – Stosur in two sets.
Article link: Sam Stosur vs Sara Errani: 2015 US Open live scores, blog. Written by Shane Jones, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion.
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