Dinara Safina beats Svetlana Kuznetsova, reaches Roland Garros final

Dinara Safina at 2008 French OpenSeed No.13 Dinara Safina continued her impressive run at the 2008 Roland Garros defeating compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3 6-2 and moving into her first ever Grand Slam final. Safina was a point from defeat in her previous two matches but she needed no miraculous recovery against Kuznetsova.

World No.14 Safina, who debuted in a Grand Slam semifinal, dominated over four-time Grand Slam semifinalist Kuznetsova and became the first woman to take a set from Kuznetsova at the 2008 French Open.

Safina established a 4-1 lead by breaking Kuznetsova twice in the first five games. Despite working her way back to 4-3, Kuznetsova was broken again and Safina served out the set. The second set started with an exchange of breaks, but then Safina broke again at 2-2, and again to take a 5-2 lead which signified the end of Kuznetsova.

On route to the final Safina defeated Kateryna Bondarenko, Magdalena Rybarikova, Jie Zheng, top seed Maria Sharapova, seventh seed Elena Dementieva, and finally fourth Svetlana Kuznetsova.

In the 2008 French Open final, Safina will play second seed Ana Ivanovic who has just won a difficult semifinal encounter against fellow Serb Jelena Jankovic. (photo: Getty Images)

Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova to meet in Roland Garros semifinals

Svetlana Kuznetsova at Roland Garros 2008Dinara Safina at Roland Garros 2008This year at Roland Garros we will have an all-Serbian and an all-Russian semifinal. In the Russian semifinal Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova will meet each other.

World No.14 Safina moved into the final four with another remarkable comeback victory. The No.13 seed defeated countrywoman Elena Dementieva. Seventh-seeded Dementieva led 5-2 in the second set and looked set for victory when she reached match point at 5-4. But Safina fought back to triumph 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-0. This victory came just two days after she beat world number one Maria Sharapova in the fourth round in almost identical fashion.

Safina is turning out to be one of the greatest comeback artists on the Grand Slam stage. With the victory over Dementieva she has become the first woman since tennis turned professional in 1968 to have come from match point down in successive grand slam matches — winning both.

Fourth-seeded Kuznetsova struggled in the first set, trailing Estonian world No.49 Kaia Kanepi 4-2 and 40-0 in the next game, but eventually stepped up a gear and claimed a convincing 7-5 6-2 win.

World No.3 Kuznetsova has a 4-3 head-to-head record against Safina, while on clay that record is 3-2. Moreover, Kuznetsova won their last match, which was also on clay in Rome last year. (sources: BBC, Reuters; photos: Getty Images)

Svetlana Kuznetsova thinks Ana Ivanovic or Jelena Jankovic will win Roland Garros

Svetlana Kuznetsova

In an interview, world No.4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, known for being a fun and positive person, straightforwardly said that nobody has a chance against Serbia's Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic at this year's Roland Garros. Haha, look at the way she expressed that.

Interviewer: There are three players from Serbia here, you know. Can you see any of them as a winner of Roland Garros?

Kuznetsova: Yes, definitely. Ivanovic or Jankovic going to win. We are losers.

(via Women Who Serve, photo via BBC)

Serena Williams beats Svetlana Kuznetsova to move into finals in Miami

Serena Williams beats Svetlana Kuznetsova at Sony Ericsson OpenSerena Williams has once again shown she feels good in Miami. The world No.8 came back from a set down to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova and reach the championship match when she'll fight for her fifth Sony Ericsson Open title.

Eighth-seeded Williams won today's semifinal 3-6 7-5 6-3 after 2 hours and 47 minutes. The fans enjoyed an entertaining match, uncertain up until the last point.

Third-seeded Kuznetsova won the first set, and was within sight of victory at 5-5 in the second, but Williams took the match to the third set. In the decider, out of the nine games played, there were five breaks of serve and a total of fourteen break points. You can imagine the uncertainty.

Serena Williams was victorious in the finals of Miami in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007. She lost the final there only once, in 1999. If Williams wins the Sony Ericsson Open again, she’ll tie Steffi Graf’s record of five titles in Miami.

In Saturday’s final, Serena Williams will play either Jelena Jankovic or Vera Zvonareva. (image via Yahoo)

Svetlana Kuznetsova beats Venus Williams in Miami quarterfinals

Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Sony Ericsson OpenSvetlana Kuznetsova defeated Venus Williams 6-4 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

Kuznetsova’s victory spoiled the prospect of an all-Williams semifinal. So, instead of her older sister, Serena Williams, who beat Justine Henin in the Sony Ericsson Open quarters, will next face the Russian world No.4.

"I just felt a little bit off," said Venus, who has won the tournament in 1998, 1999 and 2001. "I didn't have the answers today, and she played well.

"I'm always happy for Serena to win. It would have been obviously very exciting for me to win too, but it just didn't happen." (via xinhuanet)


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