Former Australian Open titlist Chris O'Neil tells The Age that Samantha Stosur is prepared to end a 33-year drought for Aussie women at their home Slam. Stosur, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, has never reached the quarters of the Australian Open.
''When she wins, and I think it will be a when, if they don't ask me to present the trophy to her I'm going to be really cross,'' said O'Neil, the last Aussie woman to raise the crown in 1978. ''She obviously has all the goods to do it, so hopefully it's this year, but it will definitely happen. She has the best serve in women's tennis, and a very dominant forehand, and just generally her whole game is coming together because she has the belief that she can do it now. She's beaten every top player in the world, she's an amazing athlete, she volleys well, her backhand certainly isn't lousy and I think she's giving herself the emotional and mental opportunity to use what she has now.''