Svetlana Kuznetsova spoke Friday of her relief that she and partner Vera Zvonareva "found the right game" just in time to win the Australian Open doubles title.
The Russian pair were in trouble at a set down against Italian pair Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in Friday's final in Melbourne, before stepping up a gear to coast to a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win.
“We both wanted to do better” following the first set, Kuznetsova said in comments to the Australian Open website. “We needed ... to improve our game. I think we [were] just talking about finding the right key. I think we did it in the middle of second set. We found the right game, what was good for us.”
Zvonareva admitted the decision to even enter the competition had been a last-minute one.
“I think we decided the night before sign in was closing,” she said.
The result sets Russia in good stead for its Fed Cup World Group match against Spain in Moscow next week, although Zvonareva is not in the squad.
Kuznetsova lines up with Ekaterina Makarova, Nadia Petrova and Australian Open singles finalist Maria Sharapova for the February 4-5 tie on the hard courts of the Olympiisky Sports Complex.
