Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Serena Williams 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5 in two hours and 47 minutes on Suzanne Lenglen court in the French Open quarterfinals ending Serena's 18-match Grand Slam winning streak.

Serena who was second seed, arrived in Paris having won two Grand Slams in a row and was seeking her third successive major title and the 11th of her career.

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.'"

"Honestly, I think I lost because of me, and not because of anything she did," Williams said.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion, is seeking 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.


(photo/Reuters Pictures)

Svetlana Kuznetsova beats Serena Williams to reach French Open semis