Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated No. 4 seed Maria Sharapova for the 2006 NASDAQ-100 Open Ladies tennis title this afternoon in Miami, Florida. In a brilliant display of powerful strokes, Kuznetsova, the No. 12 seed, completely routed Sharapova and took the match in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.
Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion, has struggled during the past two seasons, but she once again displayed the brilliance and strength that led her to the title at Flushing Meadows. Although she is not known for her mental game, Kuznetsova is one of the most powerful women on tour, and Sharapova was not able to find a way to avoid being outplayed by her fellow Russian.
Kuznetsova started off strong and took advantage of Sharapova’s tentativeness. Although both players struggled with holding their serve, in the end it was Kuznetsova reigning supreme at Key Biscayne. She needed only one championship point and sealed her win with an blistering ace.
This was the first tournament win for Kuznetsova since September of 2004. Her win should guarantee her a spot in the top ten when the new rankings are released on Monday.
