TENNIS FRENCH OPEN:DINARA SAFINA, who rose to number one in the women's world rankings in April, will hope finally to silence the doubters by winning the French Open title in the Philippe Chatrier stadium at Roland Garros tomorrow afternoon against her fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Serena Williams, 10 times a grand slam champion and holder of the US and Australian Open titles, suggested recently that she, not Safina, was the real world number one, and with some justification. Now the Russian, twice a slam runner-up, can make her own permanent mark and justify her position.
Understandably Safina remains a little touchy about any suggestion that she does not really deserve to be at the top of the women’s game, having never won a major. Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic finished last year as the world number one, also without having won a slam, which seems to point to a fundamental imbalance in a ranking system that rewards consistency rather than excellence.
That said, Safina has been dominant over the past 12 days, dropping only one set in her six matches, including yesterday’s 6-3, 6-3 semi-final victory over Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia. She has lost only one match on clay since becoming number one, and that was against Kuznetsova.
Safina has won major clay-court titles in Rome and Madrid this spring and began the French Open as the overwhelming favourite. “How much proof do I need to give the people that I deserve to be number one?” she asked yesterday. “Of course it would be great if I won the title here, but I think the way I have been playing shows that I deserve this spot.”
But the proof will be in the title.
This will be the third all-Russian grand slam final, both the others being five years ago, when Anastasia Myskina defeated Elena Dementieva here, with the latter then losing to Kuznetsova in New York.
That was Kuznetsova’s only slam, though she has reached two other finals, here in 2006 and the US Open a year later. In her semi-final she defeated Sam Stosur of Australia 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, just about holding her nerve after a typical second-set wobble.
Safina, the sister of Marat Safin – the only brother-sister pairing both to be world number one – had a reputation herself for allowing her emotions to get the better of her, much like her brother. “I knew it was my weakness, so I dealt with it. That’s why I have made such a big jump.”
Those emotions still bubble under the surface, with the 23-year-old Muscovite, and resident of Monte Carlo, frequently chastising herself on court when matters go astray. Against Cibulkova she had little cause to lose her equanimity. The 5ft 3in Slovak is the smallest player in the top 100, but packs a considerable punch. On this occasion, playing in her first slam semi-final, she could find neither the rhythm nor variation to upset the crushing pendulum swings of the Russian.
“I didn’t handle the situation,” Cibulkova said. “I was returning terribly, and I got in a panic. I was just lost on the court.”
Kuznetsova, who had defeated Serena Williams in the previous round, and who had her right ankle tightly taped after a fall in that match, defeated Safina on clay in the Stuttgart final, but lost to her at the same stage in Rome. “It will be great to play Svetlana, and great for the young kids in Russia who will be watching us,” said Safina.
It was here last year that Safina made her breakthrough, reaching the final as the 13th seed, and entering the top 10 for the first time. She lost the final to Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic and was beaten again this year in the Rod Laver stadium by Serena Williams in the Australian Open final, on both occasions nerves affecting her display.
This time she is determined to go out and play her best, leaving behind those memories of here and Melbourne. Her number-one place is already secured until after Wimbledon, though questions about the relevance of her top ranking will increase if she should lose against Kuznetsova.
