Kuznetsova turns back the clock to grind down Puig

Longtime campaigner Svetlana Kuznetsova showed her veteran’s skills in grinding down an outclassed qualifier, with the Russian crushing Monica Puig 6-0, 6-2 yesterday  to win the Sydney International title.
The demolition job — Kuznetsova’s second match of the day after knocking out top seed Simona Halep to finish a weather-hit semi-final — took less than an hour.
The 94th-ranked Puig, with one title to the current 16 of Kuznetsova, was never able to make an impression.
Kuznetsova has won two of her last three events after also capturing her home Kremlin Cup in Moscow at the end of last season.
The 30-year-old Russian held all the advantages in her meeting with Puig from Puerto Rico who had emerged from the qualifying rounds with a strong run to the title match.
Kuznetsova won the first nine games before her opponent got on the scoreboard, and kept up the pressure to claim victory in a stroll, with Puig double-faulting on match point.
While pleased with her win, Kuznetsova confessed that travelling the tennis circuit for almost half her life was draining.
“Since age 14 I went away from home. That’s what tires me, all the time on the road. This is my struggle, not to play tennis or to practice. I love that,” she said.
The final was the first between unseeded women’s players in the tournament’s 35-year-history.
“I still had fun out there tonight, which is my number one goal this year, really enjoying every single moment on court,” Puig said. “My first time here in Sydney and I made a final of my first premier tournament.
“Overall, a very good week and very happy. I’m really not going to get disheartened about this final. She played unbelievable.”
Men played catch-up at the quarter-final stage, with the Saturday final now set between fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov and holder Viktor Troicki of Serbia.
Dimitrov reached his first semi-final since last May in Istanbul, finishing off a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarter-final win over Alexandr Dolgopolov. Troicki beat Nicolas Mahut 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 while Gilles Muller put out French sixth seed Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
In the semis, Dimitrov beat Muller 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) and Troicki stopped Gabashvili 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Top seed and former champion Bernard Tomic, the Australian number one, quit in controversy after a set and a half, claiming food poisoning after his rain-hit quarter-final was put on court at 10 am.
l Belgian David Goffin put the final polish on his game for the Australian Open by beating explosive Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-2 on Friday to win the Kooyong Classic.
The world number 16 overcame a lightning start from Lopez, three behind him in the rankings, with the Spaniard producing love games on his first two serves before simmering down.
The set turned in an instant at 4-4 with Lopez broken for 4-5 and Goffin snapping up the set after 33 minutes. The Belgian took full advantage of his lead by breaking to start the second set.
With the Lopez game suddenly in freefall, Goffin consolidated with a break for 3-0 and moved out to 5-2.
Lopez rallied briefly in the penultimate game, saving three match points and holding for 2-5 with his seventh ace of the afternoon before Goffin served out to secure the title.
The Belgian finished in just over an hour with 17 winners and five breaks of serve; Lopez was felled by 29 unforced errors, going nil-for-six on break point chances.