When Samantha Stosur was so ill last year she could hardly move, her biggest motivation was getting back onto the tennis court in time for the Beijing Olympic Games.
Not major tournaments such as the Australian Open or Wimbledon, Stosur was focused purely on being back to full fitness so she could have a proper crack at the `fifth' grand slam which only comes around once every four years.
"Because I wasn't able to play at the start of the year the main thing for me was being at the Olympics," said Stosur today.
"When I wasn't sure when I was going to be able to come back I just kept saying `hey is it going to be alright for the Olympics?'
"That was the only thing I wanted to play all year if I could do anything."
Struck down with a virus in the finest form of her career in July 2007, it took doctors almost four months to diagnose the former world No.27 with the tick-born lyme disease
Stosur missed the season-opening grand slam the Australian Open earlier this year and endured several setbacks before finally returning to the court three and a half months ago to fight back into the world's top 100.
"Obviously it was pretty tough (being sick). I feel good now and am ready to go and am fit and healthy," she said.
"I'm playing well so obviously it is going to come down to whatever happens on the day when you're out on court.
"I think I have got as good a chance as anyone.
"If I am ever going to be ready for a tournament I think it should be this one.
"Hopefully the conditions will suit my game and I can get my serve up and bouncing high and all that. I have just got to be able to time it properly."
Stosur will join Casey Dellacqua and 2004 Athens bronze medallist Alicia Molik as Australia's three entrants in the 64-woman field for the singles title in Beijing.
She will then combine with Rennae Stubbs in the women's doubles in a partnership of two former world No.1 doubles stars that has the Australian team hopeful of bringing home a medal.
Stosur is coming off a mixed doubles victory and women's doubles runner-up performance at Wimbledon while four-time Olympian Stubbs is also a doubles grand slam winner.
"I will be trying for anything, I don't care what it is," said Stosur when asked if her doubles chances were greater than her singles.
"To play doubles it will be fun playing with Stubbsy and we haven't played together for quite a long time so I'm waiting for her to come and we can get out on the court and practice together."
