Serena Williams beaten by Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5 in French Open quarters

Serena loses to Kuznetsova in French quarters

PARIS — Serena Williams’ bid for a third consecutive Grand Slam title has been ended by Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Williams was unable to convert a set point in the opening set and lost a seesaw struggle 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5 Wednesday.

The No. 7-seeded Kuznetsova faced a break point serving at 5-6 in the first set but erased it with a slam. That started a stretch where she won nine of 10 points to take the lead.

Williams rallied three points from defeat to win the second set and led 3-1 in the third. But Kuznetsova mounted her comeback and broke in the final game when Williams pushed a backhand wide.

Williams, seeded second, had won 18 consecutive Grand Slam matches and was bidding for her 11th major title.