There are two Roland Garros singles champions still alive in the women’s draw: one is the current title holder and owner of 21 grand slams – Serena Williams, and the other is the under-the-radar, Russian mystery that is Svetlana Kuznetsova.
There are two Roland Garros singles champions still alive in the women’s draw: one is the current title holder and owner of 21 grand slams – Serena Williams, and the other is the under-the-radar, Russian mystery that is Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Kuznetsova’s career reads like the Fast and the Furious movie franchise – every few years, she peaks.
A winner of two grand slam titles, captured five years apart – the 2004 US Open and the 2009 French Open – Kuznetsova, who turns 30 next month, is currently enjoying yet another stint of resurgence.
A trophy run in Sydney at the start of the season, a trip to the finals in Miami – where she beat Williams en route – and a quarter-final appearance in Rome earlier this month have helped Kuznetsova come to Roland Garros as the No13 seed.
She may have been inconsistent throughout her career, but Paris has been a happy hunting ground for her, having reached the quarter-finals seven times and made the final twice.
On Sunday against fourth-seeded Garbine Muguruza, Kuznetsova will be looking to record her 50th match win at the French Open.
.@RolandGarros Day 8 OOP 📅
— WTA (@WTA) May 28, 2016
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Muguruza vs Kuznetsova
Halep vs Stosur
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Begu vs Rogers
Radwanska vs Pironkova #RG16
She credits her form this season to a mentality shift that focuses more on enjoying tennis. But once she started climbing up the rankings again, keeping that positive frame of mind was not easy.
Speaking after her third round 6-1, 6-3 victory over her compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Kuznetsova said: “I was better today because first matches I was extremely tense.
“Today I said to myself ‘look, you got to get out of this tense’. I got to just play my game, and whatever happens, my goal for this year was trying to enjoy the tennis.
“Since I got a bit better ranking and everything I start to be tense again, and I don’t want it to happen.
“I had a great nap in the locker room while the guys were playing five sets (match before hers). I was great. I was feeling much better.
“So I said ‘okay, I just go out there and I want to be happy’. That’s the only thing I was concerned about.”
The strategy worked and the Russian veteran with the heavy topspin is into the last 16 at a major for a 27th time in 54 slams.
Not one to live on past glory, Kuznetsova doesn’t think a lot about her triumph in Paris in 2009.
“I mean, it’s been six years. It’s great memories, of course. Yeah, I’ve been in finals. I’ve been playing great here. I just want to enjoy it. I mean, it’s great to know that I’ve done great here, but I just want to look forward and try to do my best,” said the former world No2.
Kuznetsova has beaten Muguruza in their only previous meeting, on clay in Madrid last year, but it was a tight three-setter.
“She’s great player. She plays really flat and aggressive game. Yeah, she will be the favourite because, I mean… just favourite. I don’t know why,” Kuznetsova said with a smile when discussing Muguruza.
“But I just want to go out there and just try to play my game.”
