TENNIS in DEPTH.

The world No.6 was out-foxed and out-played by young Czech and 25th seed Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in the third round. Her opponent’s talent was shown in the fact the 20-year-old hit 41 winners to Stosur’s 12. The evening on Rod Laver Arena didn’t go well from the start with Stosur having to save four break points on her opening serve before holding. But not converting two on Kvitova’s serve while leading 4-3 in the first set, hurt Stosur. A break there would have allowed her to serve for the set. Instead she became locked in a tiebreak and came out on the wrong side.

In the second set Stosur again had three break points on the Czech’s serve in the fifth game and failed to convert and then dropped her own serve in the sixth. They are the chances she will rue when she sits down to dissect the match, that would have propelled Stosur into the fourth round at her home slam for the third time. Instead it is Kvitova – who won the Brisbane International two weeks ago – who will meet Italian Flavia Pennetta on Monday for a sport in the quarter-finals. So much was riding on Stosur’s shoulders for the clash tonight. She had been in devastating form in her first two rounds. But her coach Dave Taylor had warned about the danger the left-handed European would pose since her serve and groundstrokes were the equal of the Australian’s power. Poor execution by Stosur let Kvitova’s light shine a little brighter. The Australian scored no aces; the Czech five; Stosur won fewer points at the net and converted far less break points.

From the eight Australian women that entered the main draw of 128, none are now left.

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