PARIS - JUNE 03: Roger Federer of Switzerland stretches for a forehand during the Men's Singles Quarter Final match against Gael Monfils of France on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Roger Federer
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PARIS - JUNE 03: Samantha Stosur of Australia signs the lens of a TV camera as she walks off court following her victory during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match against Sorana Cirstea of Romania on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Samantha Stosur
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PARIS - JUNE 03: Samantha Stosur of Australia in action during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match against Sorana Cirstea of Romania on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Samantha Stosur
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PARIS - JUNE 03: Samantha Stosur of Australia in action during the Women's Singles Quarter Final match against Sorana Cirstea of Romania on day eleven of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 3, 2009 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Samantha Stosur
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Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova clenches her fist after winning a point against U.S. player Serena Williams during a quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Wednesday June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
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U.S. player Serena Williams reacts after losing a point to Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova during a quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Wednesday June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
AP
Swiss Federer Roger Federer returns a ball to Swiss Federer Roger Federer during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK KOVARIK (Photo credit should read PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images)
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Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova runs during play against US Serena Williams during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. AFP PHOTO / JACQUES DEMARTHON (Photo credit should read JACQUES DEMARTHON/AFP/Getty Images)
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Australia's Samantha Stosur returns a ball to Roumania's Sorana Cirstea during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Stosur won 6/1, 6/2. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)
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Australia's Samantha Stosur returns a ball to Roumania's Sorana Cirstea during a French Open tennis quarter final match on June 3, 2009 at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris. The event, the second Grand Slam tournament of 2009, runs from May 25 to June 7, 2009. Stosur won 6/1, 6/2. AFP PHOTO / LIONEL BONAVENTURE (Photo credit should read LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)
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The Russian was down but not out. Showing newfound resilience, she squandered a big lead in the second set Wednesday but ended Williams' 18-match Grand Slam winning streak in the French Open quarterfinals, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5.
Williams, seeded second, was seeking her third successive major title and the 11th of her career.
Roger Federer moved one step closer to the only Grand Slam title he has yet to win, beating Frenchman Gael Monfils 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-4. It's the 20th consecutive time Federer has reached the semifinals in a major tournament.
Williams was on the verge of reaching the women's final four after mounting a comeback and taking a 3-1 lead in the final set. She blamed nerves for her defeat.
"In the third set I had an opportunity and I got really tight, and I pretty much gave it to her,'' Williams said. "It was like, 'Here, do you want to go to the semis? Because I don't.' She was like, `OK.'''
The No. 7-seeded Kuznetsova faced a set point serving at 5-6 in the first set but erased it with a slam and took the lead. After her tumble in the second set, Williams erased a 5-3 deficit and rallied three points from defeat to even the match.
Kuznetsova mounted the final surge and overcame her history of shaky play when trying to close out big matches. Instead it was Williams who succumbed to the tension.
Why the nerves?
"I don't know,'' Williams said. "I haven't gotten tight since 2007 in Australia. I maybe I put some expectations on myself that I didn't put on myself initially.''
Williams won her only French Open title in 2002.
Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion, seeks her second major title. Her opponent Thursday will be Samantha Stosur of Australia, who reached her first major semifinal by beating Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-1, 6-3.
Stosur, 25, has never won a tour title.
Kuznetsova was serving one point from a 5-2 lead in the second set when she turned her right ankle in pursuit of a shot and fell on her back. She rose with clay covering the back of her shirt and the length of her right arm.
She was unhurt and play quickly resumed, but it took a while for Kuznetsova to regain her footing.
After two sets, the match mirrored the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in January, when Kuznetsova served for the victory at 5-3 in the second set before Williams rallied. In that case, Williams went on to the title.
This time Kuznetsova recovered from her second-set lapse. She failed to convert two match points in the 10th game of the last set, but smacked three service winners to hold for 6-5. A weary Williams committed three unforced errors serving in the final game, including a backhand pushed wide on match point.
The seesaw struggle was this close: Midway through the third set, each player had won 100 points.
"Honestly, I think I lost because of me, and not because of anything she did,'' Williams said.
Not entirely. High-risk tennis paid off for Kuznetsova, who whacked winners into both corners and sometimes chose angles that surprised Williams. Kuznetsova showed lots of variety, too - when she hit a crosscourt lob, Williams staggered helplessly as she watched the ball land beyond her reach.
Williams was sometimes betrayed by uncertain footwork on the clay, which led to repeated mistakes on her forehand side down the stretch.
You are not qualified to speak for me -- I, for one, am not tired of the Williams sisters and she does not have to justify her loss -- she's human and humans do lose from time to time.
If you don't like the Williams sisters, that's fine but they deserve plenty of respect from the world of tennis because they are good and have been tops in their sport. If you don't have anything nice to say, say NOTHING!
What a classless pig. I watched the match and Serena got outplayed. Kuznetsova made Serena run from sideline to sideline. While it is amazing that an obese woman can move as well as Serena, it caught up to her. She was tired and could not catch her breath. For her to say that nothing Kuznetsova did contributed to the win is just so classless. Just like her mother and father.
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OK, LET'S SEE WHICH ONE OF THE READY MADE EXCUSES THIS AFRICAN QUEEN WILL USE TO JUSTIFY HER LOSS. IT IS REALLY GETTING OLD. THESE TWO WILLIAMS GIRLS ARE STARTING TO GET ON PEOPLE'S NERVES. I THINK, SINCE THEY HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY NOW, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO BOW OUT OF TENNIS. MOST PEOPLE SIMPLY AREN'T INTERESTED IN THEM ANYMORE.
yes mpm80 ----i see that you enjoy being a stupid white "boy". and you are a pos trailer trash one at that. i'm willing to bet that you have to go to the local library to even get access to the internet. i see you every time you think you can have an opportunity to spew your hatred toward black people but you are conspicuously absent whenever some of your fellow "low-life" pink complexion friends are in the news...and they are "in the news" a lot lately. in fact, your favorite tall russian made excuses when she lost recently and she normally does. if you don't like serena or her sister.....too bad... they are the best that america has right now. it seems that you can't find an(not one) american white girl to beat them. you are a punk
It never changes with this chick. She's arrogant and always has an excuse when she loses. No class, will never be remembered for any. You can take the girl from the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto from the girl. This isn't anything new. Somebody here said she made womens tennis in America. LOLOLOL She made it what, classless? That's about it.
If you don't like the Williams sisters, that's fine but they deserve plenty of respect from the world of tennis because they are good and have been tops in their sport. If you don't have anything nice to say, say NOTHING!
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