Ten: Stosur's tears reflect Aussie tennis flop in Beijing

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2008
Ten: Stosur's tears reflect Aussie tennis flop in Beijing

By Darren Walton

BEIJING, Aug 24 AAP - Samantha Stosur typified the anguish and disappointment if the
Australian team after their worst Olympic tennis campaign since the sport was reinstated
to the Games in 1988.

For the first time in 20 years, not one Australian earned a medal, not even in the doubles.

A shattered Stosur - on the comeback trail after almost a year out of the game with
a viral illness - burst into tears after her 4-6 6-4 6-4 second-round women's doubles
loss with veteran partner Rennae Stubbs.

Both Australians have held the world No.1 doubles ranking and won multiple grand slam
titles and felt a medal was within their grasp.

"I'm just absolutely gutted basically," Stosur said after wasting a huge opportunity
against Spanish fourth seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual.

"You've got to think we had a (medal) chance."

Stubbs, playing her fourth and almost certainly last Olympics at 37, said the loss cut deep.

"I'm really shattered as well," Stubbs said. "Sam's come back so well from the illness
and I was sort of there when she was going through it all and, you know, I've never won
a medal at four Olympics.

"I think we both really wanted this for each other."

The highlight of an otherwise forgettable Games showing came in the men's doubles when
Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione managed a rare triumph over newly-crowned world No.1
Rafael Nadal and his fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

Hewitt and Guccione also featured in a record-setting first-round epic against Argentines
Agustin Calleri and Juan Monaco, which the Australians won 18-16 in the deciding set.

But American world number ones Bob and Mike Bryan eventually extinguished the pair's
medal hopes in the quarter-finals.

And Hewitt, Stosur and Casey Dellacqua were the only Australians to win a singles match
in Beijing.

AAP djw/nh

KEYWORD: OLY08 TEN AUST WRAP

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