By Chris Oddo | Tuesday May 31, 2016

 

Sam Stosur is managing conditions and her expectations as she rolls into the quarterfinals in Paris.

Photo Source: Julian Finney/Getty

Sam Stosur is back in the Roland Garros quarterfinals, and the former French Open runner-up just might be set up for a deeper run during this chaotic fortnight in Paris. There may be confusion and panic amongst tournament organizers and in the minds of certain players in the draw due to the weather and constantly evolving schedule, but the 32-year-old veteran is showing nothing but calm this week on the terre battue.

More: Radwanska, Halep Miffed about Roland Garros Playing Conditions

In a match that was held over from Sunday, Stosur braved inclement weather and soggy conditions to oust Simona Halep, 7-6(0), 6-3 on Tuesday to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since the 2012 U.S. Open. The 2010 Roland Garros runner-up will bid for her first semifinal at Roland Garros since 2012 when she faces Tsvetana Pironkova in the quarterfinals.

Stosur quickly reversed a 5-3 deficit when her round of 16 encounter with Halep resumed on Tuesday afternoon in steady, dreary drizzle. After taking a 6-5 lead, Halep held serve to force a tiebreaker but Stosur took all seven points to claim the first set.

The pair would be sent off for another rain delay with Stosur up a break in set two, but the Aussie was still in form when play resumed.

“I felt like each time we went back out on court I was ready and I was focused and knew exactly what I wanted to do,” she said.

Halep struggled with the conditions and would later say that she was disappointed that the players were sent on court in what she perceived to be unplayable conditions. “It was impossible to play, in my opinion,” she said. “And to play tennis matches during the rain I think it's a bit too much. But everyone was in the same situation, and who was stronger won today.”

Stosur, a more powerful player, was clearly less bothered by the heavier balls and challenging court conditions. “I guess for me today I was able to hit through the court probably a bit better than Simona was able to,” Halep said. “Heavy, wet conditions like this don't typically help me too much, but I think today I was able to use them better to my tennis than what she was and I was able to put her under more pressure.”

The Aussie who entered Roland Garros with extremely low expectations now finds herself into the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time in three and a half years. Stosur’s not overthinking things in Paris, and that might be the secret to her success here at the moment. “The rain and all that, it is what it is,” she said. “I'm not letting it get to me. You take your chances when you get them.”