Returning from a serious left wrist injury, #SvetlanaKuznetsova had to experience a rough patch during her comeback as the Russian struggled with her fitness and form. The Russian started the year inside the top-15 but found herself ending the year outside the top-100 due to a series of bad draws which resulted in early exits on multiple occasions.
Amassing a poor 11-13 (.458) overall win-loss record throughout the six months she was active in, Kuznetsova went winless at the Grand Slams in the entire year for the first time in her entire career. The veteran also failed to claim a single top-10 win amidst all her tough draws. Her resurgence was halted by her poor luck with the players she lost to having an average rank of 34.8.
High Points of the Season
Kuznetsova’s highlight of the year had to be her triumph in Washington. Entering the Citi Open as a player ranked outside the top-100 for the first time in a decade, the Russian strolled to the final without losing more than four games in a match (and her opponents included Yulia Putintseva and Andrea Petkovic) and looked determined to prove her credentials.
In a thrilling final against the giant-killing Donna Vekic, Kuznetsova had to fend off four match points against the inspired Croatian before outlasting her in a one-sided final set for her 18th career WTA title and make her return into the top-100 after a brief absence from that elite batch of players.
It was a decent US Open Series for Kuznetsova, who received a wildcard to compete at the Western and Southern Open. She saved a match point to defeat Stefanie Voegele in the opening round before putting up a serious challenge against world number seven Elina Svitolina in three gruelling sets after two-hours and 41-minutes of high-quality tennis.
Low Points of the Season
Kuznetsova made a surprisingly rushed return from her wrist surgery, citing it as a “bad decision” later on. She competed at the BNP Paribas Open as the 19th seed and having finalist points to defend. However, the Russian was handed an extremely tough draw as rising star Aryna Sabalenka (who would go on to accomplish many things in 2018) awaited in the opening round. Despite a tough fight, Kuznetsova fell at the first hurdle and fell out of the top-20.
She went into the Miami Open looking for more success but to no avail. She was given a favourable draw this time, but failed to capitalize on her opportunity as her feet just could not get going in her second-round loss to the unheralded Zarina Diyas in straight sets.
Clay was a surface on which Kuznetsova is expected to excel on. However, disappointment followed as the Russian veteran failed to live up to the expectations and instead, under-performed. She was stunned by Mona Barthel in the opening round of the Samsung Open before the former top-10 player finally claimed the first win of her comeback at the Istanbul Cup against Wang Qiang.
However, just when Kuznetsova was tipped to hoist the trophy in Istanbul, she was shocked by eventual finalist Polona Hercog in the quarterfinals. Unable to put up a tough challenge against the top players, Kuznetsova’s woes continued when she finished second-best against Petra Martic in her Mutua Madrid Open opener.
The Russian exacted revenge against Hercog at the Internazionali BNL D’Italia but her confidence took a huge blow when she fell short to the hard-hitting Anett Kontaveit in the second round, despite having multiple chances to grab the win. Her tough luck continued to be a burden — a first-round meeting with fellow former champion Garbine Muguruza at Roland Garros resulted in a loss as well.
After the clay season, Kuznetsova struggled to find her form on grass too. Handed a tricky first-round opponent at the Mallorca Open, the Russian was conquered by world number 20 Anastasija Sevastova in straight sets but her season picked up with a terrific win over Maria Sakkari at the Nature Valley International. Consecutive losses followed — a 1-6, 1-6 thrashing by Elise Mertens before a disappointing first-round loss to Barbora Strycova in Wimbledon which saw her fall out of the top-100 for the first time in 831 weeks.
Kuznetsova failed to breakthrough at the Grand Slams this year due to her tough draws. Being drawn to face 16th seed Venus Williams in a blockbuster first-round clash at the US Open, the Russian narrowly fell short in a high-quality clash between the two experienced veterans. Her season then ended with a one-sided second-round loss to eventual champion Wang Qiang in Guangzhou.
Season Grade: D
It has been a tough comeback trail for Kuznetsova, who faced multiple tough draws but still could not find her top form. The Russian is certainly improving day-by-day and is playing at a much higher level as compared to the first match of her comeback back in March. However, she still needs to elevate her level and game to match the top players and produce a tougher challenge against the higher-ranked players.
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