Despite being the World No 1, Dinara Safina has not won a Grand Slam thus far. The Russian, who finished runner-up to Anna Ivanovic at Roland Garros last year, will look to go one better this time.
Her shanked shots, endured a flurry of double-faults, screamed profanities at herself and still advanced to the French Open final. The combustible Russian beat Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals on Thursday and needs one more win for her first Grand Slam title.
It was a mistake-filled match, with the top-ranked Safina winning despite seven double-faults and 24 unforced errors.
Safina was runner-up to Ana Ivanovic last year at Roland Garros, and lost this year’s Australian Open final to Serena Williams.
Safina improved to 20-1 since she became No. 1 for the first time since April 20. Her brother, Marat Safin, is a former No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion. The family’s notorious temper was evident on occasion in the semifinal. At least twice, Safina screamed a vulgarity at herself in English that TV microphones picked up, and an announcer apologised to the European audience. Her language was cleaner when she shanked a backhand into the dirt at her feet.
“That was a great shot,’’ she said. Later in the same game, Safina misfired so badly on a first serve that she drove the ball into the clay in front of the net. She held anyway for a 4-2 lead in the second set.
Safina kissed the corner with a forehand winner to reach match point and closed out the victory when Cibulkova put a backhand in the net. The match was played from behind the baseline, and it was into the seventh game before either played attempted a volley. Cibulkova found herself at a disadvantage in rallies because she often had to hit the ball above eye level, while high-kicking shots were right in the 1.82-meter (5-foot-11.5) Safina’s hitting zone.
On a sunny, cool afternoon, Safina started slowly. She fell behind 2-love, then began to find the range and won five consecutive games.
She struggled to close out the set, sailing returns long on three successive set points, but converted on the fourth try with a booming forehand.
A lob winner over the 1.60-meter (5-foot-3) Cibulkova helped Safina earn the first break of the second set for a 3-2 lead, and she closed out the win despite some fitful moments. Now she will face her close friend Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final in all-Russian final at the French Open on Saturday.
Kuznetsova, who lost the 2006 final here to Justine Henin, but who does have a Grand Slam title to her name at the 2004 US Open, looked set fair for a comfortable passage into the final after going up a set and a break.
Everyone’s talking about Federer!
Roger Federer admits he’s feeling the weight of history as a lifetime dream of finally lifting the French Open, and completing a career Grand Slam, inches tantalisingly closer.
The Swiss superstar will play his 20th successive Grand Slam semifinal against Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro on Friday. Victory there, and then a triumph in Sunday’s final against either Robin Soderling or Fernando Gonzalez, would give the World No. 2 a first Roland Garros trophy to add to his five Wimbledon, five US Open and three Australian Open triumphs.
It would take him level on 14 Grand Slam titles with American Pete Sampras.
The 27-year-old Federer has been here before, of course, having been defeated in the last three finals by Rafael Nadal. But the Spanish claycourt king was a shock last 16 casualty, while fellow rivals Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have also departed Paris.
Everybody here, including even the drivers and motorcyclists who pull up at red lights to grab a photo or an autograph, are confident that 2009 is Federer’s year.
“We’re all nervous. I felt it again in the warm-up (for Wednesday’s quarterfinal win over Gael Monfils). I was tired, I was nervous, and I didn’t feel really good,’’ said Federer. “I was nervous going into that match because of the whole story of Nadal losing, Murray losing, Djokovic losing, maybe opening up the draw a little bit.’’
Federer said he won’t underestimate 20-year-old Del Potro, one of the in-form players having captured five titles. “With a lot of confidence, a good game plan, good physique and a good mentality, you can go very far in tennis,’’ said Federer. “But it takes a lot of hard work, and that’s what he has done. I have a lot of respect for him.’’
Del Potro admitted that should he lose on Friday, he’ll be backing the Swiss in Sunday’s final.
Federer has been beaten at Roland Garros by Rafael Nadal the past four years, including the past three finals. Robin Soderling did Federer and the rest of the field a favor by upsetting the King of Clay in the fourth round Sunday. No. 3-seeded Andy Murray and No. 4 Novak Djokovic have also been eliminated. Federer is a combined 26-1 against the other three semifinalists, del Potro, Soderling (9-0) and Fernando Gonzalez (12-1). Against the trio, Federer has won 63 of 69 sets. In Friday’s other match, the No. 23-seeded Soderling will try to continue his improbable run against No. 12 Gonzalez. Soderling finds himself beyond the third round at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time, while Gonzalez is the first Chilean since 1960 to reach the Roland Garros semifinals.
NORMAN-MOODIE IN FINAL
Belgium’s Dick Norman belied his 38 years on Thursday as he and South Africa’s Wesley Moodie reached the French Open men’s doubles final with a thrilling victory over America’s Bryan twins, Mike and Bob.
Norman and Moodie stunned the second seeds, and six-time Grand Slam title winners, 0-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in their semi-final.
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Winner's Prediction |
|---|---|---|
| Robin Soderling | Fernando Gonzalez | Robin Soderling |
| Juan Martin Del Potro | Roger Federer | Juan Martin Del Potro |
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