Tennis News

Svetlana Kuznetsova

2016 Quick Hits
Week 1 Ranking: No.25
Year-End Ranking: No.9
Season Highlights: Sydney, Moscow Champion, Miami RU
Best Major Result: 4R (French Open, Wimbledon)

2017 Outlook

Kuznetsova played her best tennis at the beginning and end of 2016, kicking off what promised to be another rollercoaster season with a run to the Apia International Syndey final – defeating then-World No.2 Simona Halep en route.

The Russian continued her newfound consistency through the Miami Open, where she stunned World No.1 Serena Williams to reach her first final in Florida since 2006. Looking like an early favorite to play her first BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global since 2009, Kuznetsova’s Singapore hopes came down to the wire during the Asian Swing, where she played a thrilling match to defeat defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

Needing to win a second straight Kremlin Cup title to gaurantee the final WTA Finals berth, Kuznetsova defended a title for the first time in her storied career, and quickly became the story of the round robin stage, defeating Radwanska and Karolina Pliskova to finish first in her group.

“I play with my heart,” she said in Singapore. “I always did, but some things are just starting to work now. Maybe I’ve started to believe a little bit more than before. I’m just hanging in there more. I’m seeing other things more clearly, too; some things come together and you get confidence.

“I see opponents fear me more than before because I win matches, I fight, and I’ll be there. It doesn’t matter if I play like crap and I’m sore, I will just be there.”

Kuznetsova played her best tennis when forced to fight, winning a tour-leading 22 three-setters in 2016. She narrowly lost in the Singapore semfinals to eventual champion Dominika Cibulkova, but nonetheless finished at her highest year-end ranking in seven years, and will hope to use her renewed confidence to live an even greater “Life of a Hustler” in 2017.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Caroline Wozniacki continued her confident start to the new season by breezing past Varvara Lepchenko and into the quarterfinals of the ASB Classic.

With the dust still settling from the exits of both Williams sisters from the tournament, No.3 seed Wozniacki made light work of the gusty conditions to wrap up a 6-3, 6-3 victory.

“It was a bit of a different match, a little bit tougher conditions today. But I was happy with the way I managed to keep cool and deal with her tricky lefty serves – I was pleased with it.”

Venus Williams’ withdrawal ahead of her second-round match resulted in Wozniacki taking court a little earlier than expected, but she took the change of schedule in her stride, finishing both sets strongly to wrap up victory after an hour and 18 minutes.

.@CaroWozniacki is serving for a place in the @ASB_Classic quarterfinals – and it's no surprise when she's playing like this! pic.twitter.com/WTHph6pF3v

— WTA (@WTA) January 4, 2017

“I was in my room and I got a text asking where I was, and I was like, what do you mean? Then I found out Venus was pulling out and I needed to play a little earlier and started to stress out because I wasn’t ready.”

The former World No.1 will now play Julia Goerges, against whom she has a mixed record, winning four of their eight encounters, including two years ago in Auckland. “She’s a tough opponent, a tough match-up for me,” Wozniacki added. “But I’m excited for it, it’s going to be a good challenge. I’ve played her here before and done well, so I’m hoping I can play another good match and win.”

Goerges booked her spot by prevailing over Naomi Broady, 7-5, 6-4, in the battle of the big servers. Also advancing were Barbora Strycova, who edged past Lucie Safarova, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(4), and Jelena Ostapenko, a 6-2, 7-6(3) winner over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.