US Open Classics: Samantha Stosur vs Serena Williams, 2011 Final

Samantha Stosur

It was a turbulent US Open. Hurricane Irene swept across New York and Flushing Meadows, causing interminable rain delays and growing clamors for a roof over Arthur Ashe court, and eventually leading to the tournament being extended to the third Monday.

Through it all, Samantha Stosur, the 9th seed, was facing turbulence of her own. She was taken to the brink in a three-and-a-half-hour epic against Nadia Petrova in the 3rd round, followed that up with the longest tie-breaker in women’s tennis Major history (losing 15-17) against Maria Kirilenko in the fourth round, waited for three days to play her next match in the quarterfinals, and endured a last-minute court relocation in the semi-finals. In spite of it all, the final weekend found her firmly ensconced in only the second Major final of her career.

In stark contrast, her opponent in the final, Serena Williams, had steamrolled her way through the draw, culminating in a pummeling handed out to the World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in the previous match. Serena was in her comeback season after battling a life-threatening condition earlier in the year. And though she was not operating at full throttle yet, a recent Masters title at the Rogers Cup (where she beat Stosur in the finals) and a dominant run in the US Open thus far, indicated that the champion had got back into her comfortable groove.

The women’s final was scheduled to be played on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attack, with a host of special events playing out all around in New York. There was an additional sense of occasion to the final, accompanied by a firm, abiding belief that Serena Williams would make it an American day to remember. But as it transpired, it was Stosur who scripted an improbable win, and turned the match into a classic for any fan of the underdog.

It was always known that Sam Stosur had the game for a Major title. Her kick serve is one of the best in the business, her success in doubles means she has honed some great reflexes, her fitness and stamina are unmatched, and she has an all-round solid game that most players would die for. The problem for her has always been the mental aspect. Doubts have always been raised about the lack of steel in her game, about her inability to close the crucial points, the big games, and quite justifiably so.

What didn’t seem to help was her personality, or the lack of it. She is quiet and reserved, almost to a fault. In that sense, she is an anachronism in the women’s game of today, with all the fist-pumps and tantrums and troubled parental problems. In the midst of all that, here is the lady from Down Under who shies away from the cameras, doesn’t have a star entourage, is not known for eloquent speeches, but continues to go about quietly playing tennis matches. Just for the lack of star appeal, I have always wanted her to do well.

For the fact she did not represent the razzmatazz of the tennis world. Instead, she stood for the old school ethics of hard work and talent. Her success would, therefore, confirm to the world that the qualities needed to be a champion were pure sporting skills, and not ‘personality’. But that didn’t happen often enough. I watched her fall short in big match after big match against players who didn’t necessarily play better, but just wore their passion more obviously on their sleeves.

It made me come to the disheartening conclusion that personality was, in fact, an essential ingredient in a tennis champion’s mix today. Maybe, you really needed to blatantly show aggression and passion to convince yourself, your opponent, and the crowd that you had the skills needed to win a tennis Major. And with that depressing thought, I had written off Sam Stosur as a Grand Slam champion.