Kuznetsova rescues Russia

Updated April 22, 2012 08:13:48

Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated fellow former French Open winner Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to pull four-time champions Russia level with Serbia in their Fed Cup semi-final in Moscow.

Ivanovic went into the rubber leading her opponent 6-2 in previous encounters, but crucially it was Kuznetsova who won their only Fed Cup match-up in 2010.

The winner of the semi-final will likely face holders Czech Republic in November's final after the Czechs opened a 2-0 lead over Italy in Ostrava.

Jelena Jankovic had beaten Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 to put Serbia 1-0 up.

Lucie Safarova and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova handed holders Czech Republic its lead over Italy in their semi-final.

Safarova, the world number 23, beat 12th-ranked Francesca Schiavone, the former French Open winner, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 before world number three Kvitova saw off Sara Errani 6-4, 6-3.

AFP

Tags: tennis, sport, russian-federation

First posted April 22, 2012 08:13:48

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Kuznetsova shows form in Auckland

Updated January 04, 2012 00:46:16

Former world number two Svetlana Kuznetsova produced virtually error-free tennis to eliminate Alison Riske from the WTA event in, while former champion Yanina Wickmayer also easily moved into the second round.

Third seed Kuznetsova, who has been blighted by injury and poor form for the best part of two years, has slipped down the rankings and needed a couple of games to get into the groove on the blue hardcourts, and then showed glimpses of the form that propelled her to two major titles.

Riske took the early advantage in both sets before Kuznetsova found her range and began to take over with her serve and booming forehand to run out a 6-3, 6-2 winner in just 75 minutes to set up a second-round clash with another American, Christina McHale.

Seventh-seed Wickmayer, who won the title in 2010 and made the final last year was shunted to an outside court for her opening match but also wasted little time in advancing to the second round with 6-3, 6-4 victory over Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic in little over an hour.

Second seed Peng Shuai of China, however, had to battle against France's Aravane Rezai before she advanced to the second round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Peng had numerous troubles against qualifier Rezai in the first set and was looking in further trouble in the second before she kicked into gear and began to dominate from the baseline with heavy groundstrokes.

Rezai became visibly frustrated in the third set, talking to herself and arguing with her coach, before Peng took advantage of her three match points to run out the winner in a shade under two hours when the Frenchwoman's return of serve ballooned out.

Reuters

Tags: sport, tennis, new-zealand

First posted January 04, 2012 00:46:16

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