Svetlana Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam winner who slipped to the No. 75 ranking in the world, had been playing some of her best tennis in years, but it wasn’t enough to get past No. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Australian Open.
Australian Open 2013 results: Azarenka wins in straight sets
After struggling early against Svetlana Kuznetsova, the No. 1 seed pulled away in the second set to advance to the semifinals.
Quinn Rooney
Azarenka struggled in the first set, winning 7-5, before putting away Kuznetsova 6-1 in the second set. With the win, she advances to the semi-finals, where she will meet the winner of Sloane Stephens and Serena Williams.
Kuznetsova got out an early 3-1 lead, breaking Azarenka early, but the world’s No. 1 swung the momentum back in her favor by breaking her Russian rival twice in her final two service games to win the set. It was all downhill from there, as Kuznetsova couldn’t maintain the level play necessary to keep up with Azarenka.
Azarenka has now reached the last three major semifinals, but to keep her No. 1 ranking atop, she’ll need to bring home the Australian crown.
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