Elena ends campaign on a high

INDIAN WELLS: Elena Vesnina capped a stellar Indian Wells campaign with a hard-fought 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-4 triumph over fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova on Sunday.

Playing in her first final at the elite Premier Mandatory level, World No 15 Elena battled through a tense three hours and one minute to subdue eighthranked Svetlana, a two-time Grand Slam champion.

The triumph comes a year after Elena, 30, fell in the first round of qualifying at Indian Wells and capped a tournament that saw her down both Germany’s soonto-be number one Angelique Kerber and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.

For Svetlana, it was a third disappointment in as many finals at Indian Wells, this one coming a decade after she fell in back to back finals in 2007 and 2008.

The victory continues Elena’s rise of the last year.

She reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2016 and is no stranger to the big stage in doubles, in which she captured Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro.

While she said her Olympic doubles triumph holds a special place in her heart, Elena was thrilled with the biggest singles win of her career.

“Only the Grand Slam is bigger, the only thing that can beat this win,” she said. AFP