Sam Stosur starts 2012 with a bang

SAM STOSUR is capable of claiming multiple grand slams this year, declared Serena Williams before the Gold Coaster duly started 2012 in formidable fashion at the Brisbane International.

Sam Stosur continued her form from the end of 2011 to trounce world No.62 Anastasiya Yakimova 6-2 6-3 in 80 minutes on Pat Rafter Arena.

The gulf in class was evident from the opening points as the Belarussian could not cope with the top seed’s serve or power game.

Stosur lost just three points on serve as she swept through the first set in 29 minutes.

Her off-forehand remains the booming weapon that fired her through the US Open in September and also had her on the brink of a season-ending final at the WTA Championships.

Yakimova made more of a battle of it in the second as she finally started to handle the world No.6′s kick serve and broke back in the third game.

But her improvement only led to an identical scoreline to that of Williams’ first-round victory earlier on Monday when she disposed of South African Chanelle Scheepers.

After her own first match since her dramatic US Open final loss to Stosur, the 13-times grand slam champion nominated Stosur for more major success, possibly as soon as this month at the Australian Open.

“Sam is definitely due to win a couple of grand slams; maybe even this year,” Williams said.

Her opening cobweb-duster showed Stosur was definitely on track to finally deliver the successful Australian summer campaign she so craves after failing to meet expectations in the past.

It was well appreciated by a packed 5000-strong crowd at Pat Rafter Arena, continuing a record-breaking 12,595 attendance for the day session at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Monday.

Stosur will now play Czech left-hander Iveta Benesova in the second round on Wednesday for a likely shot at Kim Clijsters in the quarter-finals, and possibly Williams in the semis.

But the Queenslander has played her home tournament twice before in 2009 and 2011 and never got past the second round. - AAP

IMAGE: Australia’s Samantha Stosur plays a forehand shot during her first round match against Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus at the Brisbane International tournament in Brisbane, Monday, Jan. 2, 2012. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)