Stosur loses Wimbledon first round ... again

Samantha Stosur

Just before Stosur started her Wimbledon campaign, the 30-year-old split with long-term coach Miles Maclagan, although the 17th seed said this did not have any bearing on her 6-3 6-4 loss to Wickmayer on Monday.

Stosur may have served 13 aces and hit 25 winners – Wickmayer hit 25 winners as well and had just one less unforced error - but the Australian always seemed to be playing catch-up in the 69-minute match after dropping serve in the first game.

It’s the sixth time she has lost in the opening round at the All England Club, but Stosur seemed somewhat defiant in her post-match press conference.

“I don’t feel like I played that bad a match to be honest with you,” she declared to reporters.

“It wasn’t a very good start, for sure,” Stosur added referring to that initial break of serve.

“But I actually didn’t feel like, apart from trying to play that little catch up with a break behind, I felt like I was playing quite well.

Stosur couldn’t explain her poor record at Wimbledon.

“I’m pretty annoyed about it, to be honest,” she said.

“Yeah, I don't have an answer because, like I said, I do feel I played well; I think she played well and she stuck to it right from first point to last point. 

“She did well to carry that through, and nearly without a blip ... I still think I'm a good enough player to get through first rounds here and, for whatever reason, it's not happening.”

Stosur will now focus on playing in the doubles and mixed doubles before starting the search for a new coach now that she and Maclagan, a former coach of Andy Murray, have parted ways.

“I want to really take my time and think about it and make sure I'm doing the right thing,” Stosur said. 

“I think I need to go out there, keep working hard, work on my own tennis, draw on what I do well, know what I need to work on, and do that day in, day out.”

 

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