(Reuters) - Sam Stosur picked up right where she left off 12 months ago with an impressive start to her U.S. Open title defense on Monday. The Australian, who won her first grand slam title at Flushing Meadows last year, crushed talented Croatian Petra Martic 6-1 6-1 in just 51 minutes to reach the second round.
"I think probably today I carried on from exactly how I was feeling last year," said Stosur, who upset Serena Williams in last year's final.
"Hopefully that's a good omen. As far as first rounds go, I was very happy with today. Last year I did feel that comfort out there and nothing bothered me; today was along the same lines."
The 28-year-old Stosur lost in the first round at this year's Australian Open and London Olympics, while she was beaten in round two at Wimbledon. Expectations and pressure have got the better of her at times but she looked perfectly at ease against Martic, winning the first 19 points of the match before double-faulting to allow the Croatian her first point.
"The match had been going pretty quick and obviously in my favor," said Stosur. "(The idea of a perfect set) did pop into my head for a split second but then I hit the double fault and it was erased and I was quickly on with the next point."
The seventh seed hit 10 aces and felt comfortable being back on hard courts after early defeats on grass this year.
"I was definitely pleased to get back out on these courts, a surface where I do feel comfortable," she said. "It felt like I hadn't had that good feeling for quite a while. Since being back, it's a good feeling."
Stosur admitted that she had buckled under the pressure before but said she felt comfortable in New York.
"You want to perform at your best no matter where you are but then when you're at home and maybe there is that little bit extra (pressure), you can't fall into that trap of (thinking) I'm at home so everything has got to be better," she said. "It's still the same. You don't have to play any better. You're still playing tennis. It's the same sport.
"For sure, at the Aussie Open I did freeze and it did kind of handcuff me. Since then I haven't fallen into that trap again, so that's a positive sign.
"It's good to be back in New York. Now it kind of feels exciting. You got that bit of a build-up and then as soon as I got here, it was just a good feeling and excitement to be back to a city that obviously brought me so much last year."
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