By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, March 28, 2016
Svetlana Kuznetsova surprised eight-time champion Serena Williams, 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2, snapping the world No. 1's 18-match winning streak in Miami.
Photo credit: Miami Open
Eight-time champion Serena Williams calls the Miami Open her home tournament.
Svetlana Kuznetsova powered through an eight-game run to serve the world No. 1 an eviction notice.
A confident Kuznetsova broke serve six times stunning the sluggish Williams, 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2 in a two hour, two-minute victory that offered surprising signs of capitulation from the defending champion in the latter stages.
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The 19th-ranked Russian snapped Williams' 18-match winning streak in Miami to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.
It was Serena's earliest exit in Miami since a 2000 round of 16 exit to fellow Floridian Jennifer Capriati and her first Crandon Park defeat since falling to Caroline Wozniacki in the 2012 quarterfinals. Williams had reached the quarterfinals or better in 14 of her prior 15 Miami Open appearances, but in sweltering humidity she wilted in an oddly apathetic performance.
"Physically I'm fine," Williams said in a terse post-match press conference. "I don't know, I guess I didn't move today. Maybe that was one of the things that didn't work out for me."
The 21-time Grand Slam did not move for a couple of returns, won just 39 percent of second-serve points, slapped shots into the net, bailed out on points with some head-scratching drop shots and lacked the fire and fierce desire she's shown throughout her career at her home tournament. Williams committed 50 unforced errors, including nine double faults, while Kuznetsova played clean, controlled tennis, committing just 13 errors.
"Going into today's match I knew she is not on her top game, but neither was I," Kuznetsova told the media. "I didn't feel good. I knew I was hang in there and I will fight for each ball.
"It's her game, as I said, mentioned earlier. She goes for her shots, and I have to move her as more I can and make her do more unforced errors. This is my goal, how I have to win, because I'm not going to overhit her or do more winners than Serena, or do more aces. This is not my game. If I put myself and Serena on the paper, that's what I fight for: for her to make unforced errors, to bring more returns back, to serve better, and I think it worked really well for me today."
A decade after she defeated Maria Sharapova in the 2006 Miami final, Kuznetsova will play either 12th-seeded Elina Svitolina or 30th-seeded Ekaterina Makarova for a semifinal spot.
It was a perfect storm for Williams, who often rushed through rallies as if trying to end points prematurely against an experienced opponent who used her quick feet and racquet control to extend exchanges. Serena still produced periods of strong shotmaking as she showed streaking the tie breaker, but struggled to sustain the high notes.
Williams worked through a deuce hold to open. Looping a backhand rainbow lob that nestled right inside the baseline, the top seed earned break point. Kuznetsova netted a forehand as Williams, who knew the necessity of a strong start against her friend, broke for 2-0.
Amping up her strokes and grunt, Kuznetsova answered with a three-game run.
In the fifth game, Kuznetsova showed the class and racquet skills that make her a two-time Grand Slam champion. Curling a running forehand down the line, Kuznetsova drew the champion forward with a drop shot, anticipated the angle of the reply and snapped off a beautiful backhand pass down the line, breaking for 2-3 and drawing applause from Williams.
Staring down triple break point in the critical seventh game, Williams banged successive biting serves then caught a break when Kuznetsova netted a mid-court forehand on the third break point. Empowered, Williams sealed a gritty hold with an ace and a grunt, holding for 4-3.
Kuznetsova staved off a pair of break points holding for 4-all. A second serve ace—her first of the set—helped Kuznetsova come through a demanding hold to force the tie breaker after 50 minutes.
Williams' knack for the big strike was a key to the breaker. The pair combined for three aces in the first four points. Williams cranked a bold second serve to set up a forehand swing volley for 5-3. Two points later, Williams stepped in and belted a forehand return winner down the line seizing the 56-minute first set in style.
Lifting her level at the right times, the defending champion hit 23 winners against 20 unforced errors, while Kuznetsova hit nine winners against 19 errors in the opening set.
Pulling out a physical first set, Williams seemed to have the momentum, but Kuznetsova had other ideas.
The 19th-ranked Russian pressed immediately to start the second set, but Williams wiped away three break points for 1-all. Blocking back returns to neuter Williams' blistering first serve, Kuznetsova played cleaner and moved quicker breaking for 3-1.
A sloppy Serena double-faulted away a second break handing Kuznetsova a 5-1 lead. Kuznetsova hit 11 winners against just two unforced errors streaming through the second set in 35 minutes.
An impatient Williams looked unwilling to engage in extended rallies trying to force winners before creating openings as she gifted the opening break at love. Kuznetsova had reeled off six straight games by that point.
"I don't think it's appropriate to criticize my movement right now. I did the best that I could," Williams said. "My fans, you know, I did the best I could do. I can't win every match. The players come out and play me like they've never played before in their lives. You know, the best that I could do today. I have to be 300 percent every day."
Hitting her returns with more authority and care, Williams coaxed an errant forehand stopping her slide at eight straight games as she broke for 1-3. Bu that was a temporary reprieve. Williams, who has shown the ability to dig in and produce her most assertive tennis under pressure, was flat for much of the final two sets looking like a woman in dire need of a mental vacation.
Applying the same formula Angelique Kerber showed surprising Serena in the Australian Open final in January, Kuznetsova hustled hard for every ball, forced the champion to play an extra shot from awkward positions, changed pace effectively, attacked second serves and was not afraid to close at net.
Serving for the match, Kuznetsova opened with an ace and never looked back wrapping up her first win over Williams since the 2009 Roland Garros quarterfinals. It was a subdued reaction from Kuznetsova, who showed respect for the out-of-sorts Williams without any demonstrative celebration.