Amelie Mauresmo's 16match winning streak, which included her first Grand Slam title and three successive titles, came to an end with a rain-interrupted defeat in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Open Friday. But even though the top-seed from France was surprisingly beaten by the unseeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, she looks certain to become world number one again in two weeks time.
Mauresmo's 7-6 (11/9), 6-4 defeat took place over two days, and the timing of the weather disruptions may have made it harder for a tired body which was given the challenge of another tournament this week. "She played very well," acknowledged Mauresmo. "But I think ran out of gas." "That make it hard to come out of the court as a winner, but that's the way it is. I knew this could happen some day, and I am OK with that," she said.