Kuznetsova joined a tennis academy in Spain at the age of 13

Svetlana Kuznetsova says a chance meeting with Roger Federer helped turn her career around and ultimately led to Saturday's French Open victory.

The Russian beat compatriot Dinara Safina 6-4 6-2 to win at Roland Garros.

And Kuznetsova, who moved to Spain as a 13-year-old, said that Federer had helped by backing her return to Russia.

Kuznetsova revealed: "He said - 'Look you can only depend on yourself. You can control it. If you can concentrate and live in Moscow, do this.'"

The pair met at the Olympic Games in Beijing last year, where Kuznetsova had lost in the first round and was struggling for motivation.

"I say, I don't want to train, I don't want to think about it," said the 23-year-old, who was still at the academy in Barcelona she had joined nine years earlier.

I put pressure on myself because I really wanted to win. I just didn't handle it Dinara Safina

"I don't want to go back to Spain. I said a few times I want to quit playing tennis. I said it, I never felt it."

A 10-minute conversation with Federer in Beijing clarified matters for the Russian.

"He was listening and I said I want to move from Spain. I want to go to Russia. I don't know what to do.

"He said - 'Look you can only depend on yourself. You can control it. If you can concentrate and live in Moscow, do this.'

"I came back to Moscow and I worked hard. I had my passion, I have my friends, I am in my home country. I'm very patriotic. I love being there. This was a big turning point."

And after seeing off Safina in just 74 minutes on Saturday, Kuznetsova was struggling to come to terms with her victory.

606: DEBATE Kuznetsova certainly deserved to win the match today and is indeed a class player, but Safina deserved to win the title la-rafanatica

"This is big," she said. "It didn't happen just by luck. To have two Grand Slam trophies - big, you know. I just cannot express my feelings. I just have feeling inside and need to share it with my close people."

Safina admitted that she had failed to cope with the pressure as she tried to win a first Grand Slam title.

"I put pressure on myself because I really wanted to win," she said. "I just didn't handle it.

"I was a little bit desperate on the court and didn't do the things that I had to do. Didn't stay tough mentally.

"She gave me chances and I had chances. She was not so aggressive as she usually is. I just didn't do anything."

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