MOSCOW, June 2 (R-Sport) – Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova reached the quarterfinals of the French Open on Sunday with a rollercoaster three-set victory over eighth seed Angelique Kerber.
The unseeded Kuznetsova, ranked 39 in the world, broke Kerber five times to grab a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win, leveling their head-to-head record at 2-2.
"Yes, I had a rough time, I couldn't find my game, but I always demonstrate my best performance at the Grand Slam tournaments," Kuznetsova said after the match. "Maybe, I acted too hasty in some moments, but I just wanted to finish the match faster."
Kuznetsova dominated the deciding set before finishing off her opponent with a beautiful forehand down the line, her 48th winner of the match.
Kerber had struck the first blow, breaking the Russian to go 4-3 up in the first set, but the Russian quickly retaliated to take the next three games and the set.
The German turned the tide in the second set, converting a crucial break point in the seventh game and consolidating the advantage to set up the decider.
"In the second set, I should have played better," Kuznetsova said. "But the most important thing is that I managed to pull myself together and cut down on my mistakes in the third."
Kuznetsova, the 2009 champion, will have a tough match-up in the next round as she faces world No. 1 Serena Williams, who is on a 28-match winning streak.
"No doubt, she is the best. She's stronger than anyone in the world and she demonstrates fantastic tennis," said Kuznetsova, who added that the match is still far from predetermined.
Updated at 19.43 with quotes, specifies Kuznetsova's quarterfinal opponent.
