Kuznetsova beats Vesnina to end final absence

OEIRAS - Agence France-Presse

Russian tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova celebrates a point against Russian tennis player Elena Vesnina during their Portugal Open semifinal tennis match at Jamor stadium in Oeiras, outskirts of Lisbon, on May 2, 2014. Kuznetsova won 6-3, 6-1. AFP Photo

Svetlana Kuznetsova reached her first final in more than three years on Friday with a 6-3, 6-1 semi-final win over fellow Russian Elena Vesnina at the ATP-WTA Portugal Open.
 
The seventh-seed who owns grand slam titles from 2004 in Paris and 2009 in New York, will Saturday play the winner from Spanish top seed Carla Suarez Navarro and Romanian qualifier Irina Begu  

The 28-year-old Kuznetsova last played a final in February, 2011 in Dubai, where she lost to Caroline Wozniacki. The Russian's last trophy was earned at 2010 San Diego.
 
Vesnina, winner of Hobart and Eastbourne titles in 2013 after losing the first six finals of her career, was completely outplayed in her 73-minute loss.
 
Kuznetsova struck 27 winners, breaking her good friend on five of 16 opportunities.
 
But Vesnina, seeded eighth and ranked 33rd, showed resistance at the end, saving four match points on her serve before Kuznetsova finally prevailed. Vesnina fell victim to six double-faults in defeat.
 
Kuznetsova won the opening set in 42 minutes and was barely under pressure as she moved smoothly to within one victory of her 14th career singles title.
 
The Russian winner began showing progress last week in Stuttgart after a slow start in 2014, reaching the quarter-finals on the German indoor clay.
 
Kuznetsova, who began last year ranked 71 and has now fought back to 29th on the WTA list, had lost the only other match she had played against Vesnina, in Dubai five years ago.
 
She was playing her first semi-final since Moscow last autumn.