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Stosur's time to shine

Sam Stosur struggled for form at the start of 2011 © Getty Images

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• Profile: Sam Stosur

Unlike most of the world's top players, Sam Stosur's route to the sport's elite was a circuitous one. While many were groomed to become champions as soon as they were old enough to swing a racket, Stosur was a relatively late starter to the sport, and her ascent up the WTA rankings is almost a by-product of her doubles success.

An accomplished doubles player, Stosur was ranked No. 1 with America's Lisa Raymond and her arrival as a top-ten player was a relatively low-key affair.

A semi-final appearance in Indian Wells last year saw her creep into the top ten, and she continued her steady progress with a quarter-final in Miami and victory in Charleston. While Maria Sharapova burst onto the scene back in 2004, Stosur's arrival was steady and unspectacular.

By and large, the big-serving Australian creeps under the radar. Though she endures similar expectation from her native tennis fans at the Australian Open to that of Andy Murray at Wimbledon, Stosur seems happy to let the likes of Caroline Wozniacki and Kim Clijsters steal the limelight.

But she did not shy away from the attention when she dispatched four-time champion Justine Henin, world No. 1 Serena Williams and Jelena Jankovic on her way to her first grand slam singles final at last year's French Open.

Ultimately she would fall at the final hurdle as Francesca Schiavone claimed an historic victory at Roland Garros, but Stosur firmly established herself as a top-ten player with a quarter-final defeat to eventual champion Clijsters at the US Open and a semi-final appearance at the WTA Tour finals.

While she may lack the natural talent of a player such as Sharapova, Stosur's serve is a potent weapon and her fitness is second to none. Consistency was key to her season last year as she reached the quarter-finals 12 times in 18 tournaments.

More of the same was expected this year, the Australian was expected to pick up a handful of titles and perhaps reach a semi-final of a slam or two. But the consistency that was central to her form last year appeared to desert her in the early part of 2011.

After a disappointing third round defeat to Petra Kvitova in Melbourne, Stosur slumped to six defeats in 12 matches and only reached the quarter-finals once in the first seven events of the season.

Stosur is one of the fittest players on the WTA Tour © Getty Images

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Defeat to world No. 108 Dinara Safina in the second round at Indian Wells was described as her "worst performance" of the year, and she was ousted by Russia's Elena Vesnina in the second round as she failed to defend her title in Charleston.

With 1400 ranking points to defend at Roland Garros, Stosur was desperately searching to rediscover her form ahead of the European clay court season. But a return to Europe was clearly just what the doctor ordered as she returned to form in Stuttgart.

So what next? After a French Open semi-final appearance in 2009, she went one better last year. If the pattern is to continue, Stosur's name will be on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen this year.

Her critics suggest she lacks the mental potency to match her physical prowess to clinch a singles slam. Her backhand is a weakness and she can be susceptible to a high-error count. But her coach, David Taylor, believes her first season in the top ten served as a learning curve, and believes she is mentally stronger as a result.

"She's more self-assured, she's definitely much more mature, and much more forthright in saying what she believes," Taylor said earlier in the year. "I think she was a person who got influenced a lot by the people who were around her. Now she has a stronger opinion of what is right and wrong."

With doubles titles at all four slams (2006 French Open and US Open women's doubles, 2005 Australian Open and 2008 Wimbledon mixed doubles), Stosur does have big-game experience, even if she is used to a supportive presence on the court with her.

With defending champion Schiavone struggling for form, Wozniacki continuing to battle her grand slam demons, and Clijsters likely to be without match fitness, Stosur will be a genuine contender at Roland Garros.

Whether she can finally step into the limelight remains to be seen.

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