Serena Williams's bid for a third consecutive grand slam title was ended by Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals of the French Open today.
Williams was unable to convert a set point in the opening set and lost 7-6, 5-7, 7-5. Kuznetsova, the No7 seed, faced a break point serving at 5-6 in the first set but won the crucial point – and set off a stretch where she won nine out of 10 points to take the lead.
Williams rallied three points from defeat to win the second set and led 3-1 in the third but Kuznetsova mounted her comeback and broke in the final game when Williams pushed a backhand wide. Williams, seeded second, had won 18 consecutive grand slam matches and was bidding for her 11th major title.