By Chris Oddo | Tuesday April 25, 2017
Back at the scene of one of her most important clay titles, Svetlana Kuznetsova rolled past Kiki Bertens and into the second round at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. The Russian, who won this title eight years ago and used it as a springboard to the Roland Garros title that same year, notched a 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens to set a round of 16 encounter with Laura Siegemund.
Kuznetsova saved the only break point she faced in a tight third set to clinch her victory in two hours and 33 minutes. She improves to 3-1 lifetime against Bertens and avenges a loss to her in their last meeting in Fed Cup, 2016.
After the match Kuznetsova held sway in the press room and expressed the shock she felt when she heard that Serena Williams was pregnant.
“When my agent wrote me that Serena’s pregnant I thought ‘Oh, it’s probably something that they made up, like always,’” she said.
Kuznetsova said she later texted Serena to hear it from her.
In Tuesday’s penultimate match, Siegemund came through with a 6-2, 7-6(4) victory over China’s Zhang Shuai. The German stormed through qualifying at Stuttgart last year and reached all the way to the final before falling to Angelique Kerber.
Siegemund defeated Kuznetsova in three sets on the Madrid clay last season, and owns a 1-1 record against the Russian overall.
In other action on Tuesday at Stuttgart, Anastasija Sevastova took out Sam Stosur, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, to improve to 2-2 vs. the Australian lifetime.
Barbora Strycova (d. Jennifer Brady) and Anett Kontaveit (d. Ana Konjuh) were also winners on Tuesday. Agnieszka Radwanska and Ekaterina are playing the final match of the night on Center Court.
More to follow.