By Erik Gudris | Saturday, October 24, 2015
Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova earned her 15th career title in Moscow with a dominant performance over defending champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Photo Credit: Kremlin Cup
Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova saved some of her best tennis for last in Moscow, Russia as she dominated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Saturday's Kremlin Cup WTA final.
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Defending champion Pavlyuchenkova entered with a recent 19 match win streak indoors, including picking up the Linz title last week. Yet Kuznetsova going for her first title of the season proved too strong from start to finish.
Both women stayed on level terms early in the opening set. Pavlyuchenkova battled through an extended service game that saw her fight off break points to hold for 2-all. But from there, Kuznetsova took control.
Kuznetsova soon had her service break after Pavlyuchenkova sent a forehand long in the sixth game. With the same strong serving she had shown all week, Kuznetsova quickly went up 5-2.
A weary looking Pavlyuchenkova called for a visit from a trainer to have wrapping removed from her thigh. The visit only postponed the inevitable as Kuznetsova took the set 6-2 with help from another Pavlyuchenkova groundstroke error.
Kuznetsova then delighted the crowd early in the second set when she chased down a Pavlyuchenkova shot to respond with a perfect tweener. Kuznetsova, with a big forehand winner, eventually broke for 2-0.
Though Pavlyuchenkova tried to will herself back into the match, the errors from her racquet continued to accumulate. Playing within herself and with more winners, Kuznetsova raced ahead to a 5-0 lead.
Pavlyuchenkova finally held serve again to get on the scoreboard for 5-1. But it mattered little as Kuznetsova, who never faced a break point, soon found herself with match points on her serve. A final big serve from the Russian veteran sealed the convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory in just under 80 minutes.
It's the first ever Moscow title for Kuznetsova who had been a multiple semifinalist at her country's event. This is also Kuznetsova's 15th career WTA title with her previous title coming in Washington, D.C. last year.