UPDATE 10.50pm: Former US Open champion Sam Stosur has let slip a 5-1 third-set lead, succumbing to American Varvara Lepchenko 4-6 6-4 7-5 on Pat Rafter Arena Sunday night.
The former US Open champion lost six straight games as seemingly down-and-out Lepchenko saved a match point in the win over the world No.22 on Pat Rafter Arena.
However, Stosur said alarm bells weren’t ringing ahead of the Australian Open despite letting a 5-1 third-set lead slip.
“For 99 per cent of that match I’m really happy with the way that I played and what I did,” the former world No.4 said.
“That was the most comfortable and I feel like one of the best matches I’ve played to start my campaign.
“I would go out there and do it all over again.”
Stosur did not believe the first round loss exposed any mental demons to exorcise before again tackling the overwhelming home crowd expectation at this month’s Australian Open.
“I don’t necessarily think that tonight was a big, you know, mental capitulation,” she said.
“Obviously different people will have their opinions, and that’s fine.
“Look, there is always (home crowd) pressure; there is always that thing going on.
“I know the way I’ve handled it in the past, but I don’t feel like that at all tonight.
“It’s easy to kind of jump way down the deep end and say how bad it was.
“I don’t want to go down that road, because I don’t think it was like that.”
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Stosur initially hit the ground running in her first match since a foot injury cut short her 2014 season.
And a heart-to-heart courtside chat with coach Simon Rea after an error-riddled second set rekindled that fire as she jumped to a 5-1 lead in the third.
Stosur then had a match point the next game, only to be denied on a Hawk-Eye challenge, with Lepchenko winning the replayed point.
The American former world No.19 did not look back as she clinched a remarkable comeback win in more than two and a half hours, sealing her maiden WTA tournament win over Stosur and first since a second-tier victory in 2008.