Vesnina beats Kuznetsova to win Indian Wells WTA title
INDIAN WELLS, United States: 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 number 15 Vesnina battled through a tense three hours and one minute to subdue eighthranked Kuznetsova, a two- time Grand Slam champion.
The triumph comes a year after Vesnina, 30, fell in the first round of qualifying at Indian Wells and capped a tournament that saw her down both Germany’s soon-to-be number one Angelique Kerber and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.
For Kuznetsova, 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.
A third set that, like the first two, featured multiple service breaks saw Kuznetsova take a 42 lead before Vesnina broke for 4- 3 then won a marathon ninth game in which Kuznetsova saved four break points before Vesnina converted her fifth with a stinging service winner to find herself serving for the match.
After knocking a forehand wide on her first match point, she secured the victory when Kuznetsova’s service return went long.
“She was up set and 4-1, then 4- 2 in the third,” Vesnina said. “She had so many break points on my serve. She was 30-Love up couple of times on her serves. And I always keep coming back. I stick there, you know.
“I was just not giving anything at that moment. I didn’t think about the end of the match.
“And when I broke her at 4-All and went to serve for the match, I had this in my mind: I’m not going to give it. I went to serve and I was, like, I’m never going to lose this game.”
For a time it seemed Kuznetsova’s steadier play would win the day, but in the end it was Vesnina’s aggression that paid off, even though her 49 unforced errors out- stripped her 46 winners.
“I felt like when I was playing, I didn’t feel good today, because she was very aggressive, and I was a little bit out of my game,” Kuznetsova said. “I was too far from the court, and I was running all the way, way behind, so the only thing I could do was defend.
“I was too passive,” Kuznetsova said. “I think that’s why I lost.”
The victory continues Vesnina’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. — AFP