By Chris Oddo | Friday October 21, 2016
Svetlana Kuznetsova is one match from defending her Kremlin Cup title and Singapore qualification after defeating Elina Svitolina in three sets on Friday in Moscow.
Photo Source: China Open
While the other seven Singapore qualifiers were participating in Friday’s star-studded draw at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, 31-year-old Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova was taking care of some unfinished business in Moscow.
Tennis. Global game.
Kuznetsova powered past feisty Elina Svitolina, 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-4, to move within one match of qualification for this year’s WTA Finals at Singapore.
The Russian is currently in ninth in the RTS standings behind Great Britain’s Johanna Konta, but would knock Konta out with a victory in the final.
On Friday the defending Kremlin Cup champion had to battle hard to defeat Svitolina, but after dropping a hard-fought second set in a tiebreaker she was able to redouble her efforts and move past the Ukrainian on the strength of a single break in the third set.
Kuznetsova improves to 42-20 on the season and will play for her 17th career title when she meets Daria Gavrilova in the final. Gavrilova reached her first career final with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Germany's Julia Goerges.
22-year-old Svitolina was bidding to become the first Ukrainian finalist in the Kremlin Cup’s 23-year history. She drops to 38-21 on the season.
Kuznetsova improves to 20-8 in three-setters with the win.