Kuznetsova advances to tourney final
KEY BISCAYNE — Svetlana Kuznetsova let out a yell and looked to the sky after her backhand match point winner on Thursday. It was an expression of relief and a celebration. She didn’t necessarily play well, but she played well enough to win and earn a spot in the Miami Open finals.
Kuznetsova, the 30-year-old Russian who won the 2006 Miami Open, advances to Saturday’s final thanks to a hard-fought 7-5, 6-3 victory over Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky.
Kuznetsova, the 15th seed who upset top-seeded Serena Williams in the round of 16, figures she’s marching on she had one thing in her favor.
“The fighting spirit,” she said.
That type of grit and gusto will have to be what carries the upset-studded Miami Open as it comes to its conclusion this weekend.
Many of the biggest names in the game — Serena Williams, second-seeded Andy Murray, third-seeded Roger Federer, fifth-seeded Rafael Nadal, third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska and 10th-seeded Venus Williams — were gone before Thursday.
And to show how deep the big-name elimination has gone consider perhaps the most recognizable American duo in men’s double’s — Bob and Mike Bryan, the Bryan brothers, the tournament’s fourth seed — lost Thursday in straight sets to France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, the fifth seeds, 6-3, 6-3.
Still, an intriguing field remains.
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic is still alive, and he’ll face 15th-seeded David Goffin at 1 p.m. today in one men’s semifinal.
The other men’s semifinal today pits sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan against Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, the 24th seed.
Nishikori was a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) winner over France’s Gael Monfils in a riveting and physically draining quarterfinal. Nishikori, who saved five match points, thinks the quarterfinal could have a lingering effect on the semifinal.
“It’s not going to be 100 percent,” Nishikori said of his energy level for the semifinal. “It was tough conditions and we played long rallies. It was a long match. I have to say I’m a little bit tired now, but I’ll try to get good recovery.”
Kyrgios, dialing up serves that registered 134 and 136 mph, dispatched Canada’s Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (4) in an equally dramatic quarterfinal match.
Kuznetsova, whose diverse bag of tricks in Thursday’s semifinal included drop shots, backhands, forehands, lobs, smashes and a serve-and-volley game, will face 13th-seeded Victoria Azarenka in Saturday’s final. Azarenka defeated No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber 6-2, 7-5.
Kuznetsova, who held off a crafty Bacsinszky to take the first set, took control in the second set by breaking Bacsinszky’s serve in the second, fourth and sixth games.
It was Kuznetsova’s only straight-sets victory of the tournament. Her formula? Whatever worked.
“I didn’t feel like I was hitting good forehands or good backhands,” she said. “It was quite all right and I was just hanging in there playing long rallies trying to do what I do best, go against her weaker spots, her weaker hands and try to keep up and serve better.”
Kuznetsova, ranked 19th in the world, is the lowestranked women’s Miami Open finalist since Kim Clijsters, ranked No. 38 in the world, in 2005.