Just when she thought she may need seen and executed all of it in her landmark tennis profession, Sam Stosur is prepared for one final dance.
At 38 years previous, not having performed since an early US Open exit and with none win since June, Stosur knew it was potential her essential function at this week’s Billie Jean King Cup is likely to be as distinguished cheerleader on the Australian staff bench.
Instead, the primary girl of Australian tennis was requested by Alicia Molik to step up and play in two essential doubles alongside Storm Sanders – and Stosur did so to such telling impact that she’s now eyeing the one prize she’d all the time fancied in Sunday’s remaining.
“This is why I’ve kind of hung around playing a bit. You want moments like this,” beamed Stosur, after she got here up huge with Sanders in a final-set super-tiebreak decider to edge out the British pair of Olivia Nicholls and Alicia Barnett and seal the 2-1 semi-final win over the hosts in Glasgow on Saturday.
“I knew it was a possibility that I may or may not get a run out here this week. Obviously with Storm and Ellen (Perez), they are both far higher ranked than me at the moment,” mused Stosur, who, whereas now retired from singles play, has dropped to 113 within the doubles rankings.
“I have had a bit of a rough year results-wise, but one thing I knew going into this week is that I had done everything I could to get myself as ready as possible to play, and if I got called up, then I was going to give it everything I had.”
Brought in to interchange Perez within the second tie in opposition to Belgium in midweek, she and Sanders gained in straight units and had been requested to reprise their purring partnership on Saturday, the place Stosur’s coolness underneath strain after 19 years of staff fight proved invaluable.
Stosur has performed within the BJK Cup in each its earlier two incarnations, the Federation Cup and Fed Cup, and has now gained 39 occasions – however nonetheless the world title has eluded the previous US Open champion after her 2019 near-miss within the remaining in opposition to France.
So this actually is likely to be the final hurrah.
Asked afterwards if she nonetheless thought she is likely to be going robust as a participant at 40, she famous: “Probably not – but, you know, if we do manage to win tomorrow, then that would be an incredible moment.
“I’ve been fairly fortunate to have some fairly unbelievable moments in my profession, and weeks like this and matches like this and days like this are what you play for. You need to be on the market amongst it.
“If my role is on the court, that’s great. If that’s cheering from the sideline, then that’s okay too. But I was prepared for anything and ready to do whatever I could to try and help the team.
“And for me to be on the market at the moment and win it in a decider with Stormy was an unbelievable feeling.”
