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Stosur loses, unsure on Wimbledon return

3 minute read

Former US Open champion Samantha Stosur says she doesn't know if she's played her last Wimbledon after another first-round exit - but she's not retiring yet.

SAMANTHA STOSUR.
SAMANTHA STOSUR. Picture: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Australian tennis great Samantha Stosur is not sure whether she's played her last Wimbledon singles match after suffering a gallant first-round loss in her 17th trip to the All England Club.

Yet the veteran wildcard, who went down, typically swinging, 6-1 5-7 6-3 to American Shelby Rogers on Tuesday night, is adamant retirement is not on the cards.

The 37-year-old mother of one staged a brave comeback, fending off three match points from love 40-down at 4-5 in the second set, to level the encounter.

But the 2011 US Open champion was unable to convert the momentum of an early third-set service break into her first Wimbledon singles win since 2018.

Asked if she felt it may have been her last singles match at Wimbledon, Stosur laughed: "Well, I better start winning some matches to make sure I can get in".

"I dunno, I'm not sure. If I can play another one, then I'd obviously love to be back here again at Wimbledon," she said.

"If that can happen, that would be great.

"But if not, that was a good fight here to leave my singles.

"But I'm hoping to be here a little while longer in the doubles and the mixed, so we'll see how time goes between now and next year's Wimbledon.

"I'm not sitting here today announcing my retirement, that's for sure.

"I'm still planning to play the rest of the year out as much as I can through the US Open and I'll assess things well and truly by the end of the US swing and see where I'm at."

Stosur is a former women's doubles and mixed champion on London's hallowed lawns but this was another early singles exit for Australia's lone women's singles winner in New York in the last half a century, who may live to regret her modest record at SW19.

For all her class and credentials, Stosur has won only 12 matches in 17 main-draw appearances at Wimbledon.

Eight first-round defeats, six second-round exits and no ventures to the second week is a far cry from her four forays to the French Open semi-finals in Paris and one finals appearance on the Roland Garros clay to go with her incredible title triumph over Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows a decade ago.

"A bit of a rollercoaster of emotions," Stosur said of her latest near-miss.

"I felt I was almost out, then I ended up walking off the court disappointed that I didn't win because I had that early break in the third."

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