Zhang Shuai and Nao Hibino both in straight sets. Competing at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai as the eighth seed, Stosur lost both of her round-robin matches to top-seed Briton Johanna Konta and 11th seed Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia both in straight sets. Stosur ended the year ranked No. 21 in singles. 2017: Ninth WTA title Stosur began the season at the Brisbane International with a first-round loss to fourth-seed Garbiñe Muguruza in a three-set thriller. She then competed at the Apia Sydney International where she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, in straight sets. This was her eighth straight loss in the five months since her win over Camila Giorgi at the 2016 US Open. She then fell to Heather Watson in the first round of the Australian Open, in three sets. Stosur ended her five-month losing streak at the Taiwan Open where she was the second seed. She defeated Danka Kovinić in straight sets to set up a clash with Slovenian qualifier Dalila Jakupović and defeated her in three sets. Her run ended at the hands of Peng Shuai in the quarterfinals in straight sets. Stosur withdrew from Australia's Fed Cup tie against Ukraine due to lack of form. She then competed at the Qatar Open where she reached the quarterfinals. She defeated Latvian Anastasija Sevastova and eighth seed Barbora Strýcová before falling to Dominika Cibulková in straight sets for the first time. At the Dubai Championships, Stosur was seeded 12th. She defeated qualifier Zhang Kailin in straight sets in the first round before losing to Croatian teen Ana Konjuh in straight sets, in the second round. Her next tournament was the Indian Wells Masters, where she was the 16th seed. She lost her opening-round match against Julia Görges in a three-set thriller. After that disappointing run, Stosur bounced back at the Miami Open where she was seeded 14th. She reached the fourth round after defeating in-form fellow Australian Ashleigh Barty in the second round, avenging her quarterfinal loss at the Taiwan Open by defeating Peng Shuai in three sets before her run ended at the hands of Simona Halep in a three-set thriller. Her next tournament was the Charleston Open where she received a first-round bye. She beat Serbian former world No. 1, Jelena Janković, in straight sets before losing to Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets. In Stuttgart, Stosur lost in the first round to Anastasija Sevastova. In Prague,