Kuznetsova is likely to offer better challenge to Williams

Serena Williams is expecting a tough battle against Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals of the French Open – and history indicates she is likely to be proved correct.
Serena Williams returns against Italy's Roberta VinciSerena Williams returns against Italy's Roberta Vinci
Serena Williams returns against Italy's Roberta Vinci

The world No 1 has steamrollered her way through the draw at Roland Garros so far, and even though Roberta Vinci gave a decent account of herself yesterday, she still only won four games.

Williams’s 6-1 6-3 victory made it 10 games lost in four matches so far, extending her winning streak to 28 matches.

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Williams and Kuznetsova, a 6-4 4-6 6-3 winner over eighth seed Angelique Kerber yesterday, have met eight times before, with the American winning six times.

But nearly all of their matches have been close, and the only previous time they have met at Roland Garros, in the quarter-finals in 2009, Kuznetsova won before going on to lift the trophy.

Williams said: “It will be a good match. The last time we played here she won, so that will probably get her pumped up and she’s on a comeback.

“She has nothing to lose but everything to gain. She also wants to do well, and she’s won this tournament before.

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“So it’s not going to be an easy match for me. I have had some pretty tough matches this clay-court season, and I think for sure that will be another one. But it will be a good job for me to see how I go there.”

Kuznetsova at her best has the power and variety to trouble Williams, especially on clay, and, unlike a lot of the American’s opponents, will not be intimidated.

The Russian missed the end of last season with a knee problem, but reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open in January and has climbed back to 39th in the rankings.

She knows she will have her work cut out, saying of Williams: “She’s the best in the world. She’s been playing unbelievable tennis.

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“But I believe that I have the game, and I have good days. Let’s cross fingers I will have a good day for that one.

“I just go out there and play my game. Sometimes I can be very good. Sometimes I just have bad days. I’m just a human being, maybe even more than other people.”

Kuznetsova shied away from comparisons with 2009 just yet, saying: “I think it’s too far ahead still, but it’s always great memories to play here, and it’s a pleasure.

“It doesn’t even matter about the memories. I always love to play in Paris. It always brings the best out of me and feels special.”

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Last year’s runner-up, fifth seed Sara Errani, had eased through her first three rounds but there was nothing comfortable about yesterday’s 5-7 6-4 6-3 win over Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.

At 5-5 and deuce in the first set, Errani doubled over in pain and took a medical time-out, complaining that she could not breathe properly.

Suarez Navarro went on to win the game and the set, but Errani recovered and will meet fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat the fading light last night to record a 6-2 6-4 victory over 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic, who double-faulted on match point.

David Ferrer served notice of his intent in the men’s singles with a fourth-round demolition of Kevin Anderson.

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The fourth seed has been exceptionally consistent at grand slams over the past 18 months and yesterday’s 6-3 6-1 6-1 victory sent him through to his sixth consecutive quarter-final.

Four times he has reached semi-finals in that run, including last year at Roland Garros when he beat Andy Murray, but Ferrer is still waiting for his first final appearance.

He is likely to have to beat Roger Federer if he is to achieve that here, but Ferrer’s form will certainly give the Swiss something to think about.

Next up for the Spaniard will be Tommy Robredo, and Ferrer will certainly have plenty of energy left having lost an average of only eight games in his four matches so far.

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Robredo, the 32nd seed, remarkably came back from two sets down for the third match in a row to beat 11th seed Nicolas Almagro. The 31-year-old was a fixture in the top 10 in 2006 and 2007, but dropped off the radar after struggling with a leg injury.

This is the first time in three years he has played at Roland Garros and when he played his first tournament for seven months in June last year he was ranked 470th in the world.

Robredo has certainly reached the quarter-finals the hard way, beating Igor Sijsling from two sets down in the second round, then saving four match points against Gael Monfils three days ago.

The Spaniard was a break down in every set against Almagro, but fought back to win 6-7 (5/7) 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-4, clinching victory in three hours and 49 minutes.

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Robredo sobbed into the clay as the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen chanted his name.

He is only the second player in grand slam history to win three successive matches from two sets down, emulating Frenchman Henri Cochet, one of the ‘Four Musketeers’, who did it at Wimbledon in 1927 on his way to the title.

Robredo was much happier with his place in the quarter-finals than his place in history.

Robredo said: “I don’t really care, frankly. What is very important is that I won this match.

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“I won a big match against a player who defeated me five times. And the rest is only records.

“I played a player who is incredible on clay.

“I’m not thinking about history. History is this match I played (yesterday). It’s not the score that counts.”

Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached the quarter-finals in less dramatic fashion with a 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory over Serbia’s Viktor Troicki.

Roger Federer was given a huge scare by Gilles Simon before fighting back to reach the quarter-finals.

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The Swiss reached the last eight at a 36th consecutive grand slam, a record dating back to Wimbledon in 2004.

In the end, Federer recovered from two sets to one down to win 6-1 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-3, but there was plenty to give hope to his next opponent, Tsonga.