Update 10:55 pm. Sam Stosur has snared her first win as a Grand Slam champion on home turf in front of a record crowd with a straight sets defeat of Belarussian Anastasia Yakimova.
The Brisbane International’s top seed dominated in front of a vocal full house on Monday night, with her improved running forehand often leaving Yakimova on the back foot. In fact, the tournament set a new day-night record of 18,748, smashing the previous record 13,121 recorded in 2010.
Stosur will go on to play Czech lefty Iveta Benesova for a place in the quarterfinals where Kim Clijsters or Ana Ivanovic will await.
“It’s fantastic to come out here and start my year off like this here in Brisbane where I love to play in a great atmosphere, I loved every second of it,” Stosur said.
“It’s been huge a huge experience for me [after winning the US Open].
“I never had people get my bags for me off the carousel at the airport, people want to do everything for you.”
Up a break at 3-1 in the first set, Stosur began to loosen her shoulders, rushing to put away a backhand volley and a running crosscourt forehand winner to hold for 4-1.
She went on to close out the first set with a break for 6-2, and quickly opened up a 4-2 lead in the second.
With nothing to lose Yakimova hit two cracking winners down Stosur’s forehand line to bring up a pair of break points.
The top seed responded with back-to-back forehand winners into Yakimova’s backhand corner and clenched her fist before an appreciative home crowd to hold a lengthy game for 5-2 before clinching the match two games later.
In the second night match, Marcos Baghdatis survived a spirited encounter with American Ryan Harrison. Baghdatis prevailed 7-6(7) 6-4 to book his place in the second round where he will play the winner between fifth seed Kei Nishikori and Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.