Simple Svetlana proves there's more to her game than champagne Sharapova
If Maria Sharapova is the champagne girl of tennis, then Svetlana Kuznetsova is a bottle of brown ale.
While Sharapova boasts the looks and the multi-million dollar sponsorship deals, Kuznetsova has something far more valuable.
A place in the last 16 at Wimbledon on her 23rd birthday.
Her 6-2, 6-4 victory over stroppy Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova was as functional as it could possibly get.
Kuznetsova: Not as fizzy as her Russian counterpart Sharapova, but just as much punch
The last eight is the furthest the Monaco based right-hander has so far progressed on a surface that should suit the simplicity of her game.
She serves hard, hits the ball just as fiercely and runs about when she has to. She is no natural athlete but her raw power ultimately overcame her Czech opponent.
The third round tie was not without its moments, though, with Zahlavova Strycova being warning for an audible obscenity.
But after a two-hour rain stoppage, Kuznetsova, seeded four, finally made it through.
She is often overlooked in favour of the more photogenic members of the WTA tour but she said: 'For me, it's not about how much attention I get. It's not about how people treat me. I'm fine with whatever I get.
'We come here and it's how we play tennis. What happens on the outside is on the outside.'
