Yelena Vesnina defeated fellow Russian tennis player Svetlana Kuznetsova on March 19 in the final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California.
Vesnina, who was playing in her first finals match in one of the premier Women's Tennis Associations (WTA) events, defeated Kuznetsov 6-7 (6/8), 7-5, 6-4 to capture the Indian Wells title.
The world's No. 15 player, Vesnina battled Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion, for three hours before securing the victory.
Kuznetsova, 31, was competing in the Indian Wells final for the first time since she lost in the championship matches in both 2007 and 2008.
Vesnina, 30, was a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2016, but she was defeated in the first round at Indian Wells last year.
