Tennis star Stosur wins Australia’s player of the year award

Stosur of Australia celebrates after defeating Lepchenko of the U.S. during their women’s singles match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York

MELBOURNE: Tennis star Samantha Stosur on Monday received the award for Australia’s most outstanding player of the year for a third consecutive year at the Australian Tennis Awards in Melbourne, organisers said.

The former US Open champion won the prestigious Newcombe Medal, defeating Australia’s top-ranked male player Marinko Matosevic, former world number one Lleyton Hewitt and 2011 French Open mixed doubles champion Casey Dellacqua.

The 28-year-old Stosur, currently ranked ninth in the WTA standings, is the first Australian woman since Wendy Turnbull to finish in the top 10 in the world three years running.