Reigning US Open champion Samantha Stosur was knocked out of the 2012 event by top seed Victoria Azarenka on a rain affected day 10 at Flushing Meadows with Maria Sharapova in trouble elsewhere.
The Australian seventh seed was bundled out by Azarenka, who won in Melbourne earlier this year, triumphing 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) in a tiebreak third set finale in their quarterfinal.
“Definitely I don’t want to stop. I really want it bad,” Azarenka said about her second grand slam. “I’m going to do absolutely everything I have, you know, to give it all here.”
However, Stosur’s demise came as no major shock to the Australian who has had a difficult year and holds a poor record against the Belarussian.
“It’s been a rough year. I came off a pretty rough spot before coming to the US hardcourt season,” Stosur said. “Going into this tournament, I was struggling a little bit but gaining that momentum and confidence.
“To really turn it around, in one of the biggest tournaments of the year, that’s what we come out here and play for. I think that proves to me that I am capable of doing it. Absolutely.”
Elsewhere, few matches were completed due to rain, with Sharapova’s clash with Marion Bartoli halted with the French 11th seed 4-0 up in the first set.
In the men’s, fourth seed David Ferrer easily accounted for Frenchman Richard Gasquet 7-5, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.
Elsewhere, second seed Novak Djokovic’s clash with Stanislas Wawrinka was postponed with the Serbian leading 2-0, while Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Porto’s match was halted in a tiebreak in the first set.