Indian Wells: Elena Vesnina beats Svetlana Kuznetsova to win BNP Paribas Open
Elena Vesnina staged a remarkable comeback to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-7 (6-8) 7-5 6-4 in a thrilling all-Russian BNP Paribas Open final.
Eighth seed Kuznetsova edged a marathon first set lasting 71 minutes by winning a tie-break at Indian Wells.
Vesnina, the 14th seed, trailed 4-1 in the second set before winning four games in a row to force a deciding set.
She trailed 4-2 in that set but again won four successive games to win a match lasting just over three hours.
The win marked the biggest title of Vesnina’s career and she collapsed to the court with a mixture of ecstasy and exhaustion at the end.
Vesnina, 30, was playing in her first final at a ‘Premier Mandatory’ event – those at Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Madrid and Beijing.
Kuznetsova, a two-time runner-up in 2007 and 2008, has now lost three finals at Indian Wells.