me too .. single hand naturally right .. guessing maybe opposite of Sam .. anything double naturally left .. i learned to play golf early right handed because a pro suggested golf courses were designed for right handed players .. lol .. at early age i didn't bother to check, and never did check .. i do easy things with left hand for brain practice (maybe that's what adds to general 'wtf' state) .. lol .. hammer with both hands equally well is BIG .. i'd lose my left thumb .. the author was being lax with the definition ..
agree .. Sam is good .. no bs .. i'll always remember you are a Sam fan so never any need to remind me .. LOL
you will appreciate Sam again in this one .. first decent and fair on her i've read this aussi open time ..
Linda Pearce - Sports writer for The Age - Date January 18, 2013
Australia's Sam Stosur. Photo: Getty Images
THE surprise to Victoria Azarenka was that Sam Stosur would admit to the third-set choke against Zheng Jie.
''She said that?'' queried Azarenka. Yes, she did. So what does it feel like to know you should be doing something but find you're doing something else? Has there been a pressure situation that Azarenka has experienced that was in any way comparable to what Stosur has gone through here?
''Yeah, for sure,'' said the top seed and defending champion. ''For sure, everybody felt that at some point in their career. Sometimes you think you know exactly what you do, but your body just kind of resembles your actions. You know, sometimes it's just blurry. You don't see anything. I'm sure everybody experienced that. I have in the past. It's just a matter of how you deal with it. You have to find your own way how to kind of get through it. She's been really honest about it. I'm sure it's not easy for her to play here.''
For Minsk-born Azarenka, it is not the location that matters as much as, usually, the circumstances. ''I don't think it's the place; sometimes it's the match; sometimes it's just occasion; sometimes it's just how you feel. It's not really particular to one place. We don't have a grand slam in Belarus, so I'm kind of lucky with that - or not.''
Stosur's coach David Taylor said her latest collapse was ''one of her worst''.
''It was terrible to see,'' he said. ''At 5-2, I put my phone in my pocket so I wouldn't forget it because I knew it was the last game. It is an absolutely devastating loss. It's illogical for a player of that level - but that's what it is. It's not that easy to solve … there's no easy answer.
'There's not one thing or suggestion that I've ever read that she hasn't tried. People make statements as if it's something new. She's tried everything. Sports psychologists, you name it. She's one of the best players in the world so she's got access to a lot of information and these people are making comments like it's new.
''A lot of people who aren't in sport, I don't think they really understand. She's obviously very anxious and it's highlighted under pressure. It happens to people in everyday life. Her anxiety happens in sport.''
Taylor doesn't subscribe to the theory that Stosur is more prone to nerves in Australia. ''The thing that she's proven to everyone and herself is that she rebounds quickly and plays good tennis after disappointing losses.
''I think this is no different. She has had shocking results at Wimbledon every year, played a terrible match at the French Open - it wasn't in Australia. It's just highlighted because she is in Australia.''
Stosur yesterday partnered German Julia Goerges in the women's doubles, and signed up to partner young South Australian Luke Saville in the mixed.
Stosur and Goerges progressed to the second round of the doubles with a 6-3 6-1 clubbing of 16th seeds Daniela Hantuchova and Anabel Medina Garrigues.
As for the Azarenka, the greatest title threat to Serena Williams, she clobbered Eleni Daniilidou 6-1, 6-0. She was curious to see whether the roof would be closed over a sweltering Rod Laver Arena but, when it was not, determined not to hang around.
''That's why I was trying to play fast,'' said Azarenka, who next plays American Jamie Hampton. ''The first match I got a little bit sunburnt. You don't want to make that mistake again. I was prepared for it, you know. I think everybody knew few days before that that it's going to be really hot. Even at 11am, you could really feel it.''
Azarenka needs to reach the Open final to have a chance of retaining her top ranking for a 49th week.
Ailing Bernard Tomic jeered in Miami loss to Andy Murray
From: AAP, AFP March 24, 2013 12:29PM
[ short embedded video ] Bernard Tomic booed by crowd a...
DAVIS Cup-bound Bernard Tomic blamed illness after being jeered when humbled 6-3 6-1 by world No.2 Andy Murray at the Miami Masters.
World No.45 Tomic managed to win only 10 points in the second set of their second round clash on a steamy Florida afternoon and he put his problems down to the effect of too much air-conditioning on a troublesome virus.
“I didn't play very good in the second set,” acknowledged Tomic, who is also teaming with Lleyton Hewitt in doubles in Miami after being restored to the Australian Davis Cup team for its tie against Uzbekistan on April 5-7.
“I didn't feel at 100 per cent. I tried my best but it was not good enough.
“I've had some sort of flu for the last few days. I can't breathe through my nose and I lose energy quickly on court.
“I felt good in my first round, but I must have slept under too much A/C.
“The match was played in very hot conditions, and I was soon struggling. After losing the first set it was going to be really difficult to come back from a set down.”
Although Tomic offered little resistance in the second set, Murray wasn't sure that his opponent deserved the jeers he heard from the crowd, who may have had memories of Tomic's US Open second round flogging from Andy Roddick last August, when he was accused of tanking by John McEnroe when losing the last set 6-0.
“The one thing I would say is that if you aren't used to playing in these conditions, it is extremely hot and tough to play,” said Murray.
“It is tough when you're going behind and making quite a lot of mistakes.
“So I don't know. The crowd, they're free to do whatever they want.”
Tomic, champion in Sydney in the run-up to the Australian Open, heads next to Munich when his doubles run is done in Miami to train with the Australian team for the Davis Cup tie in Uzbekistan.
Tomic said he was genuinely pleased to be back on the Davis Cup team. The 20-year-old Queenslander has won eight of his 10 singles rubbers and will be a welcome asset to skipper Pat Rafter in the Asia-Oceania Zone second-round tie.
“I'm very, very happy to be back on the team,” said the player whose feud with Rafter exploded last year.
Tomic had originally said he would not be available for the upcoming tie after being left off the side which beat Chinese Taipei in February because of what Rafter called a lack of professionalism.
“I always want to play Davis Cup. I want to thank Pat for picking me,” Tomic said.
“Wherever it is I'll always be happy to play for country.
“Lleyton has always told me what a huge thing Davis Cup is. We have a good chance to beat Uzbekistan. I'm back where I want to be, I'm looking forward to playing Davis Cup again and I'll give my best.”
Wipeout at Wimbledon: Shock at SW19 as 19-year-old Aussie wildcard BEATS world number one Nadal on Centre Court just hours after Sharapova is knocked out by Kerber
.. did you by any chance watch it? ..
* Men's world number one and 14-time grand slam champion was dumped out by Australian teenager Nicky Kyrgios * The 19-year-old sensation beat the Spaniard in four sets and has set up a last-eight clash with Canada's Milos Raonic * Sharapova lost to Angelique Kerber on Centre Court, ending hopes of winning a second Wimbledon title in 10 years * Drama also unfolded on Court One as Serena Williams was forced to stop a doubles match after suffering a virus
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