Svetlana Kuznetsova said she must work on rising to the big occasion following her 6-1 6-3 defeat by world number one Justine Henin in the US Open final on Saturday.
”I think the match was much closer than the score, for sure,” the 22-year-old Russian, who won the 2004 US Open title, told reporters.
”When she plays her best game I have to play my best game. I didn’t play my best game so that’s why I lost.”
Kuznetsova, who will climb from fourth in the rankings to world number two, felt the sting of another disappointment in a title match, her fourth this season.
Her only victory came when Agnes Szavay of Hungary retired with a back injury in the second set in New Haven the week before the Open. Kuznetsova had lost the opening set.
”The next step I have to do is improve during the matches,” she said. ”It’s not about the training on the court. Just when I go to play finals I wish I play at my best, and today I didn’t do so.”
Kuznetsova squandered chances during the one hour, 22-minute final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
”With players like her, at such a high level, you have few opportunities, not many,” she said. ”If you don’t use them, there’sno way I’m going to win.
”I felt I didn’t move to the ball well enough because I was pretty tight. So I think I’ve got to learn a lot out of this final and improve it.”
Kuznetsova, whose record against Henin slipped to 2-15, said Henin deserved her number one status but was beatable.
”We’re not machines. We’re players. We are humans. And she is also,” the Russian said. ”She is number one now and I think she deserves it. She works very hard. She’s very professional.
”She still had some ups and downs today, and I just didn’t use it.” – Reuters