Dubai: Former world No. 4 Samantha Stosur wants to go as far as possible at this week’s Dubai Tennis Championships after the top Australian player shrugged off American Christina McHale on second day of the qualifying on Sunday.
Having defeated India’s Ankita Raina in her opener late on Saturday, Stosur was far more composed in her 6-4, 6-2 win over her American opponent to remain just one match away from entering the main draw of the competition.
“It feels good here and the aim is to go as far as possible,” Stosur told Gulf News.
“I am striking the ball well and I am feeling good and happy here. I definitely want to do well this week and see where I go from here,” she added.
Now 33, Stosur was the top-ranked Australian player for 452 consecutive weeks between October 2008 and June 2017. She won the 2011 US Open defeating Serena Williams in final to become the first Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 to win a singles Grand Slam.
Stosur will next meet Maria Sakkari in Monday morning’s final round of qualifiers and a win over the Greek player will ensure one of four spots in the main draw. “The field is strong and it’s good to win two matches in a row. The idea is to just go out there and play my game. Luckily there are no injuries and all is well,” she added.
Also advancing to the third round was former Dubai champion Sara Errani with an effortless 6-4, 6-4 win in an hour and 26 minutes over American Bernarda Pera. The Italian, who won here in 2016, will next face fast-improving Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka.
Lesia Tsurenko secured a 6-3, 6-3 win over Ons Jabeur to bring down the curtains on the Arab presence at the tournament. Tsurenko will next take on Kazakh girl Zarina Diyas, a 6-0, 7-5 winner against Veronika Kudermetova. And Qiang Wang was the lone Chinese standing following her hard-fought 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win over Danka Kovinic.
The Chinese girl will meet Sofya Zhuk after Camila Giorgi retired with an injury while leading against her Russian opponent.
