Svetlana Kuznetsova battled past Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5 1-6 7-5 to move to 1-0 in the White Group of the WTA Finals in Singapore after a thrilling match in which she had to save a match point at 4-5 in the 10th game just 48 hours after securing her spot for Singapore by defending her title at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow on Saturday.
Kuznetsova led 12-4 in their previous 16 head-to-head matches against Radwanska. A few weeks ago Kuznetsova beat her Polish rival in three sets 1-6 7-6 (11-9) 6-4 in the quarter finals of the Wuhan Open after saving a match point.
Both players started the match with three holds of serve without breaks of serve. Radwanska won her second service game with her first ace of the match. In the fourth game the 2012 Wimbledon finalist had a good return game and got her first break of serve to take a 3-1 lead. In the next game she consolidated the break at love for 4-1.
In the sixth game Radwanska rallied from 15-40 down by winning two consecutive points but Kuznetsova earned a game point with a backhand winner and held her serve at deuce for 2-4. The Russian player broke back in the next game with a backhand crosscourt and consolidated her service game to level the match to 4-4.
Radwanska rallied from losing three consecutive games by holding her serve at 30. Kuznetsova broke serve in the 11th game for 6-5 with a two-handed backhand pass crosscourt to earn a chance to serve out for the first set. She saved a break point before missing forehands on her first two set points. Kuznetsova earned a third set point with her first ace and converted it as Radwanska hit her forehand return into the net.
The 31-year-old Russian player completed her come-back from 1-4 down in the first set by winning six of the next seven games.
Kuznetsova converted both her break point chances, won 7 of her 9 net points and hit 11 winners to 21 unforced errors in the first set.
Radwanska was solid on return in the second game of the second set and got a break to take a 2-0 lead. Kuznetsova broke straight back in the third game for 1-2. Radwanska got the third consecutive break of the second set to open up a 3-1 lead. The player from Krakow had to fight through a deuce game and managed to consolidate the break for 4-1. Radwanska broke for the third time to race out to 5-1 but let a 40-0 lead slip when Kuznetsova won three consecutive points to force the seventh game to deuce. Radwanska earned her fourth set point with a backhand drop shot and held her service game at deuce to close out the second set 6-1 forcing the match to the third set.
Kuznetsova and Radwanska had played nine three-set matches, with the Russian player winning seven of them. The winner of last week’s Kremlin Cup won 20 three-set matches in 2016, more than anybody else in the circuit.
In the first game of the third set Radwanska earned three break points at 0-40 but Kuznetsova got it back to deuce. The Russian player made a double fault to give Radwanska a fourth break point. The Polish star converted her chance for 1-0 as Kuznetsova hit a ball long. The Russian player has dropped her serve in her last four service games.
Kuznetsova had converted all her three break points so far in the match but Radwanska saved two chances in the second game and consolidated the break in the longest game of the match.
In the third game Kuznetsova managed to hold her serve by winning two consecutive points from 30-all to trail 1-2. Kuznetsova broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2.
Radwanska hit a forehand volley to get the break for 3-2.
The defending champion from Poland faced three break points in the eighth game. She saved four break points but Kuznetsova got the break on her fifth chance with a backhand winner down the line after a long game to draw level to 4-4.
Kuznetsova faced a break point with her fourth double fault. Radwanska got the break straight back again for 5-4 after a good return game thanks to a backhand winner down the line.
Radwanska earned a match point after Kuznetsova made her third backhand error of the game. The Russian player saved it as the Pole hit a backhand into the net. Radwanska netted a forehand to face a break point. She saved it with her fifth ace. Kuznetsova hit a backhand volley winner to earn a second break point before breaking back to draw level to 5-5 on Radwanska’s error.
Kuznetsova held her serve for 6-5 and was a game away from clinching her second win over Radwanska in three weeks. Radwanska hit a forehand wide to face a third match point.
Kuznetsova converted her third match point as Radwanska sent her forehand into the net after a dramatic two-hour and 48-minute match.
Kuznetsova beat Radwanska for the ninth time in their last 10 head-to-head matches.
Kuznetsova hit 29 winners to 32 unforced errors and converted seven of her twelve break points to clinch a well-deserved win after saving a match point. Just two days before Kuznetsova secured a last-minute ticket to Singapore by beating Daria Gavrilova in the Kremlin Cup final in Moscow.
“At some point I was just like ready to go and lay on the court and let them take me out of here. I was just trying to stay in there and hang in there. Just playing every point was key. I was just trying to hang in there. Things were not working for me perfectly, but it’s my first time on center court, first time in Singapore. I am happy to be here”, said Kuznetsova.
During a changeover Kuznetsova took out a pair of shissors and cut part of her ponytail.
“It was bothering me a lot. I was trying to put it behind my headband but my hair is thick and heavy. Everytime when I was hitting good forehands and coming forward, it would hit my eye and I struggled. So I thought: Okay, what’s more important now, my hair, which I can let grow or the match ? I got to go for it right now and that’s it”.
