PARIS(AP) The sunny conditions have kept the ball bouncing high on the red clay at the French Open, making Samantha Stosur's big serve even harder to return.
The 25-year-old Australian dominated for the second straight match on center court, beating Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 6-3 Wednesday to reach the semifinals at a major tournament for the first time.
Doesn't matter who you are, everyone knows that it can be effective,'' Stosur said of her serve.It certainly works here and on hard courts, anything where it is going to bounce high.''
In the fourth round, Stosur easily beat Virginie Razzano 6-1, 6-2. The Frenchwoman then paid Stosur a compliment, saying, ``She serves like a man.''
Against Cirstea, Stosur won 92 percent of the points on her first serve in the first set. In the second, Stosur saved eight of the nine break points she faced.
I'm just really pleased that even though I may have been down in the game, I could hang in there and fight my way back,'' Stosur said.If she was going to win the game she had to earn it from me. I wasn't going to give anything away today.''
Cirstea is a 19-year-old high school student who had never before reached the third round of a major tournament. She may have been a little overwhelmed against Stosur, who broke the Romanian five times.
Stosur has never won a tour title, and she was playing in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time. In the semifinals, she will face 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat Serena Williams 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5.
I'm going to have to, once again, bring my good tennis to the court and play my own game,'' Stosur said.Doesn't really matter who's down at the other end at this point in time.''
Stosur, seeded 30th, is the first Australian to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros since Nicole Bradtke in 1988.
Just over the moon. Happy. Excited,'' said Stosur, who missed most of 2007 because of Lyme disease.Every single positive emotion I think possible at the moment.''