By Chris Oddo | Wednesday October 19, 2016
Svetlana Kuznetsova is just three matches away from qualifying from the WTA Finals after her win over Alize Cornet on Wednesday in Moscow.
Photo Source: Kremlin Cup
Svetlana Kuznetsova kept her Singapore hopes alive with a 6-4, 7-5 win over France’s Alizè Cornet at the Kremlin Cup. The Russian needs to win the title in order to overtake Johanna Konta for the final qualification spot at next week’s WTA Finals.
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In a topsy-turvy match Kuznetsova was broken four times but responded with six breaks of her own on 17 opportunities to defeat Cornet in one hour and 47 minutes.
Kuznetsova improves to 3-2 against Cornet and has won the last three meetings.
When she won the title in Moscow last year Kuznetsova was ranked outside of the Top 30, but after a successful 2016 campaign the 31-year-old now finds herself inside the Top 10 for the first time in six years.
After five straight breaks of serve, the last giving Kuznetsova a 5-4 lead in set one, the Russian served out the set. In the second set Kuznetsova saw a 5-3 lead evaporate but rallied to take the final two games.
Kuznetsova will move on to face Hungary’s Timea Babos in the quarterfinals. Babos eased past Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 6-4 for her second win in six matches with the Frenchwoman.
Spain’s Carla Saurez Navarro was eliminated from Singapore contention when she retired from her second-round match with Daria Gavrilova with a wrist injury. She was trailing 6-4, 3-0 at the time. Like Kuznetsova, Suarez Navarro would have had to win the title to qualify for the WTA Finals.
In other action on Wednesday in Moscow, No.4-seeded Elina Svitolina defeated Yulia Putintseva, 6-2, 6-2, while No.8-seeded Daria Kasatkina took out Ekaterina Makarova, 6-4, 6-1.
Svitolina will face Ana Konjuh in the quarterfinals, while Kasatkina will face Julia Goerges.