Kuznetsova Keeps Up Big Year in Beijing

Never having fallen short of the finals in her three previous trips to Beijing, Svetlana Kuznetsova again made the finals in this bigger-than-ever edition of the China Open, this time winning her second title in the Chinese capital by the score of 6-2, 6-4 over Agnieszka Radwanska.

After losing a ridiculous six straight finals from late 2007 into 2008, Kuznetsova seems to have turned a corner this year, winning three of four finals and two of the biggest titles of her career.

While the lack of starpower in the final eight of the tournament  made the tournament a lot less interesting than it could have been, it's important to reiterate how big this tournament was in terms of points.  It is one of only four Premier Mandatory events on the year (along with Indian Wells, Miami, and Madrid), in the tier right under the Grand Slams.  Kuznetsova hasn't been winning events this big since 2006, and her rebirth and relative consistency this year is an intriguing and important development.

Even more intriguing and important is the gang sign Kuznetsova appears to be flashing in this picture (while simultaneously holding an enormously heavy-looking trophy with one hand).  Is that an "M" for Moscow, even though she's from St. Petersburg? An "M" for Mother Russia? An oddly oriented "3" for her third title of the year? Who knows.