3 minute read
Samantha Stosur has defended the state of Australian tennis as she eyes a second French Open final at Roland Garros.
It's not quite the halcyon days of the 1950s and '60s but Samantha Stosur says Australian tennis is in quite decent shape and getting better, thanks very much.
Stosur was a touch taken aback when asked before her French Open semi-final with Sara Errani on Thursday night "what's wrong with Australian tennis?".
"Well, I don't think there is a major issue with Australian tennis," the US Open champion said.
"It's getting better and better and I think there's a really good crop of young juniors coming through that hopefully will be out here in years to come.
"We have had the great players in the past, but I think it all goes around in cycles.
"We have had that bit of a dip now, but it's getting better and it's growing and hopefully everyone will be able to see those results."
Although Australia isn't carving out grand slam champions like the glory days when, for example, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Mervyn Rose, Rod Laver, Fred Stolle, Tony Roche, Roy Emerson, Lesley Bowrey, Margaret Smith and Evonne Goolagong Cawley all won the French Open in 15 golden years from 1956 to 1971, results are already appearing.
In addition to Stosur's 2011 US Open triumph, the world No.6 reached the 2010 final at Roland Garros, while Bernard Tomic last year became the youngest Wimbledon quarter-finalist since John McEnroe in 1977.
Australia also boasts the world's top-ranked under-18s player in Luke Saville and second-ranked junior girl in 16-year-old Ashleigh Barty.
Saville is through to the quarter-finals of the boys' singles in Paris as he attempts to add the French Open crown to his junior Wimbledon and junior Australian Open titles.
Barty won the Wimbledon junior girls' title last year at just 15 and also helped Australia take out the Junior Fed Cup.
And with Stosur at the fore, Australia this year gained promotion to the eight-nation women's Fed Cup World Group and Tomic and Hewitt are hoping to lead Australia back into the Davis Cup World Group with victory over Germany in September.
In a truly global game, as opposed to 40 years ago when Australians and Americans dominated, there are 38 different nationalities in the women's top 100 - including 10 players from different countries occupying the top 10 spots.
Stosur is personally excited to be peaking at a time when the top ranking is well and truly up for grabs.
"I'm in that stage of my career now where I'm playing some of my best tennis and I still think I'm improving and there's always things that you can work on," the world No.6 said.
"Where tennis is at the moment, it's hard because no one is really taking that top spot and holding it to themselves as such.
"But it's nice to know that you're one of the best players in the world and you've got those opportunities if you keep playing well and keep trying to improve and look ahead and look at the big picture."
The men's top 100 is similar, with 36 different nationalities in the top 100, including three Australians.