Just a week after eliminating the newly-crowned US Open champion Samantha Stosur in the second round of the Premier-level tournament in Tokyo, Maria Kirilenko repeated the feat by ousting the Australian from another high-profile event – the China Open in Beijing – also in the second round. However, in Tokyo it was Stosur's opener, while in Beijing she scored a 6-4 6-0 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova in her first match.

The unseeded Kirilenko advanced to the third round with a 7-5 1-6 7-5 victory over Stosur, after recollecting herself from a second set slump and a loss of six straight games. Next for Kirilenko is Tamira Paszek, who upset seed No.10 Jelena Jankovic in the first round.

Not even one 2011 Grand Slam champion is left in the China Open draw, even though it's still only the beginning of the tournament. French Open winner Li Na went out in the first round to Monica Niculescu 6-4 6-0, Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova lost her opener to Sofia Arvisson 7-6(6) 4-6 6-3, while Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters hasn't even been playing since August. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

To further celebrate Samantha Stosur's first major title, Australia Post created a souvenir stamp sheet with images of the Australian holding her US Open trophy.

I'm really excited Australia Post has decided to release a souvenir stamp sheet to celebrate my US Open win. The past couple of weeks have been very exciting and I'm still coming to terms with the idea of being a Grand Slam winner. This is something I'll remember forever.

The limited-edition stamp sheet can be bought for $15.95 until stocks last.

Reminder: Remember the golden days of Serbian women's tennis, when Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic had their images on stamps? (source: Samantha Stosur's official website)

Samantha Stosur and Maria Kirilenko met in the fourth round of the US Open this month and played one of the most exciting matches of the tournament featuring the longest tiebreak in Grand Slam history. Then the winner was Stosur with a 6-2 6-7(15) 6-3 score and afterwards the Australian defeated Vera Zvonareva, Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams to claim her first major title.

In today's match at the $2,050,000 Toray Pan Pacific Open Kirilenko found revenge and defeated the sixth-seeded Stosur in what was another close encounter, 6-2 4-6 6-4. The 27th-ranked Kirilenko moved to the third round where she will face Ana Ivanovic, even though Stosur came back from a break down to win the second set and from a 4-2 deficit to 4-4 in the third set. (source: WTA Tour, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

(click on the image above to watch the video)

By winning the 2011 US Open title, Samantha Stosur achieved a great thing for her career and for her home country of Australia, which is now giving back to its champion. The 27-year-old received a homecoming celebration in Gold Cost, her city of residence, and was handed keys to the city as a special honor.

Stosur used the opportunity to confirm participation at her home tournament of Brisbane International in January 2012, where she hopes to bring her US Open form. Then she will head to a quest for the Australian Open trophy.

It is a very exciting time for me and it is great to be able to come home and share what has been a huge achievement with my family and friends in Queensland. I don't get the chance to get home often so to have this time is very special.

Continuing the celebration of Samantha Stosur's perfect US Open 2011 title run we are showing you these beautiful photos of the Grand Slam champion when she was a girl. Doesn't baby Sam remind you of Anna Kournikova? Both her face and long blond hair.

And here's Sam as a curly teenager with full cheeks. Read more »

Clothing brands like to use the opportunity of their players' triumphs to celebrate their achievements and gain extra exposure. Lacoste took out a full page in the New York Times to congratulate Samantha Stosur on her US Open title.

During the Open, the 27-year-old Stosur wore a black, purple and white Lacoste dress. Read more »

According to US Open tradition, Samantha Stosur did a photo shoot with her maiden Grand Slam trophy in Times Square, New York City. Players usually pick a glamorous look for the occasion, but Sam kept it casual and beachy in the white and red stripes of her Lacoste dress.

Stosur has realized it’s not easy being a Grand Slam champion— she had to use three alarm clocks to wake up and fulfill all the obligations to the media and reportedly slept for only an hour and a half.

The Australian’s frozen face expression and stiff smile suggest she’s still shocked by her achievement and how dominantly she won the final against Serena Williams.

Check out Sam's ankles, by the way!

Reminder: In 2009 and 2010 Kim Clijsters showed off her trophy in Times Square and Central Park and before her, in 2008, it was this year's runner-up Serena Williams in a sexy red dress. (via Down the Line, Tennis Served Fresh, Women Who Serve)

Serena Williams has had more than awe-inspiring comeback and she reached the US Open final with all straight-set victories, many of which were very decisive, and she entered the championships match as a strong favorite against Samantha Stosur, but all that admiration Williams' tennis deserves quickly vanished when she showed utter lack of control and shameful impoliteness in the beginning of the second set.

Stosur had spent a lot of time on the court en route to the final and had never won a Grand Slam title and was therefore an underdog, however, the Australian had a diverse game accompanied by good use of Williams' missed first serves and she won the first set 6-2. In the first game of the second set, down 40-30 on her serve, Williams seemed to have saved the break point with a forehand winner, but her loud "Come on" before the ball reached Stosur was perceived as a shout in the middle of a point, and chair umpire Eva Asderaki handed Stosur the point and hence the game. It triggered such an anger in Williams, that she started yelling disgraceful things at the Greek umpire. Here's the video:

Read more »

Despite all the odds and Serena Williams' legacy and intimidating form, Samantha Stosur won the US Open 2011 final in an impressive fashion, with a 6-2 6-3 score, and won her maiden Grand Slam title. The ninth-seeded Stosur was focused, classy, played wonderful tennis and was  modest in her victory.

Here's a video of the trophy ceremony. Look how cute and shy Stosur was.

Stosur praised her Serena's indisputable career achievements, ignoring her shameful argument with chair umpire.

Ever since I started playing it was a dream of mine to be here one day. I don't really know what to say. Serena, you are a fantastic player, great champion and have done wonders for our sport.

Stosur spent more than 13 hours on the court this US Open, and she is only the second Australian woman to win the tournament, however, despite everything it has to be mentioned that the fact that Serena was her opponent in the final brings extra weight to her trophy. Read more »

Both Samantha Stosur and Serena Williams reached the 2011 US Open final in an amazing way – Stosur played the longest US Open women's singles match in the third round against Nadia Petrova, and followed it with a match against Maria Kirilenko which featured the longest women's tiebreak at any major, then played three sets against suprise semifinalist Angelique Kerber, while her final obstacle was Serena Williams, who hadn't dropped a set at the tournament and who crushed world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in the semis.

The favorite was Serena Williams because of all her solid wins in the lead-up to the tournament and at the tournament and because she's the owner of 13 Grand Slam titles in singles, including three US Open. However, Stosur was focused, put nerves aside, and played a smart all-round game, while Williams overshadowed her tennis with a verbal attack at chair umpire Eva Asderaki which looked really inappropriate and showed Williams' lack of class.

Read more »