Defending champion Samantha Stosur begins title defence in style with 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of Petra Martic
Sam Stosur won the first 19 points as she began the defence of her US Open title in style with a 6-1 6-1 victory over Croatia’s Petra Martic.
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The Australian, seeded seventh this year, was a surprise winner over Serena Williams 12 months ago but is under the radar again this time after failing to build on her maiden grand slam title.
Fired up:u00a0Samantha Stosur returns to Petra Martic during a women’s Rd 1 tie yesterday
She certainly made a statement yesterday, though, leading 21-year-old Croatian Martic 4-0 and 40-0 before she dropped a point, and she was hardly less dominant thereafter.
It took Stosur only 51 minutes to clinch victory and set up a second-round match against either Edina Gallovits-Hall of Romania or Switzerland’s Stefanie Voegele.
Spain’s 27th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues was an early casualty, though, the clay-court specialist going down 6-3, 6-3 to Czech Lucie Hradecka.
Later, heavy rain brought play to a halt after just 90 minutes of action on the first day of the final Grand Slam event of the season. Only four women’s singles matches had been completed.