Kuznetsova eager to cross last hurdle in world rankings

Dubai: World No 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova feels she may be very close to taking another step in the rankings, provided she is willing to work - and that too at a fast rate - on certain aspects of her game.

"Being the second best player in the world can be pretty tough," Kuznetsova smiled as she met media in the traditional opening day interviews at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

"Now the only thing left for me is to be the world No 1. I am pretty happy with the way I am playing and improving in my game. But it is that one last hurdle that I need to overcome, and much of it depends on how fast I can make the alterations in my game," Kuznetsova stated.

Since turning professional in 2000, the 22-year-old has nine singles career titles on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, including the US Open way back in 2004.

Her Grand Slam success nearly hit top gear again last season when she made it to the final at the US Open, only to lose to top seed Justine Henin.

Playing against such quality players, Kuznetsova is aware that she needs to do something to be crowned the best in the world.

"I need to make certain changes in my game if I need to make things work for me," she admitted.