Samantha Stosur may live in Tampa, Florida, but she hails from Australia and if last week’s performance in the Sydney Open International is any indication, Samantha is well positioned to provide thrills and upsets in the Australian Open 2009 at Melbourne. Her legions of fans knows she will be home for the next two weeks. Boisterous crowds shouted and celebrated her stirring three set match with eventual champion Serena Williams at Sydney.

Buoyed be a controversial second set net ball ruling, Stosur pressed the imposing Serena Williams throughout the match. The top-seeded Williams was forced to overcome four match points en route to her triumph. Stosur displayed her power game and appeared even more fit than usual in carrying the 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-5 match to Williams.

Fans familiar with Stosur’s career recognize her as a driving force on the women’s doubles tour. After achieving a world ranking of number 1 while teamed with Lisa Raymond in 2006, Samantha has been in great demand. She is now in the best physical shape of her career and one look will speak volumes about her conditioning. With one of the strongest upper bodies on the tour, Samantha is ready to bring her disarming power serve and volley play to all challengers.

Disabled by Lyme Disease in 2007, Samantha began her comeback last year. Stosur was a Women’s Doubles finalist and Mixed Doubles Champion at Wimbeldon, but her singles play still seemed erratic. Stosur and Raymond reached the finals at the U.S. Open where the Williams girls rose to the fore.

Samantha has perfected her serve and volley game and does not compromise at singles. She uses an exaggerated inside-outside swing to create a heavy spin and always looks to get to the net. Many tour players are uncomfortable with Samantha’s pressing tactics. This strategy works well for the Aussie in doubles and she will pair up with Rennae Stubbs at Melbourne.

Samantha is usually the most athletic player on the court. One need only see the power in that muscular right arm to realize where the 120 mile per hour serve originates. Her second serve has an uncharacteristically difficult high kick that unnerves many players.

In an interview after the Sydney event, Serena Williams was asked how she felt about defending champion Maria Sharapova’s withdrawal from the Australian Open. Impressed by Stosur’s play, Williams answered that while Sharapova’s absence was unfortunate, she was more concerned about the possibility of drawing a player like Samantha in the first round of the Open.

There is no quit in Stosur and with the wild Australian crowd behind her, anything is possible. If Samantha goes down in Melbourne, it will not be quietly.