Congratulations Samantha

In the 1998 University Open Tennis Championships, a promising 14-year old player from the Gold Coast, Samantha Stosur, won the 18 & Under Girls’ Singles, narrowly defeating Miranda Smith 6/7 6/4 6/3 in the Final. That year, she lost in the second round of both the Open Singles and the Open Doubles. 

In the 1994 University Open, 10-year old Samantha won the C Grade Singles and C Grade Doubles (losing in the S/F of the 14 & Under Singles). In the 1995 University Open, Samantha won the B Grade Doubles, was Runner-Up in the B Grade Singles and lost in the S/F of the 14 & Under Singles. In the 1996 University Open, Samantha won the 14 & Under Doubles but lost in the first round of the 16 & Under Singles.

On Monday morning, Samantha Stosur soundly defeated one of the all-time great players, Serena Williams, 6/2 6/3 to win the Final of the U.S. Open Women’s Singles Championship.

This is truly a magnificent achievement as Samantha is the first Queensland player and only the second Australian to win the U.S. Open Women’s Singles.

The only other Australian player to have won the U.S. Open Women’s Singles is Margaret Court [Smith] who took the title 5 times (1973, 1970, 1969, 1965 & 1962) and was runner-up once (1963). The only other Queensland player to have reached the Final of the U.S. Open Women’s Singles is Wendy Turnbull who lost 7/6 6/2 to Chris Evert in the 1977 Final. The other Australian players who have made the Final are Evonne Goolagong [Cawley] (1976, 1975, 1974 & 1973), Kerry Melville [Reid] (1972) and Nancye Wynne [Bolton] (1938).