IF DINARA Safina is to emulate her brother Marat, who won the US Open in 2000 and the Australian Open in 2005, today’s semi-final is the moment. The world number one must beat Venus Williams.
There is common agreement that Safina’s muscular game from the back court off both wings can trouble even the best players. But the Russian 23-year-old has found it difficult to find both popularity and a cut-throat attitude when it comes to closing the deal. She also has the tendency to back off in matches and sometimes unravel. Angst-ridden three-set battles are not uncommon. Against Sabine Lisicki, she dropped the first set before scrambling in the second and racing through the third 6-1.
She came off court relieved to have gone through to the semi-final but wondered how she manages to create hurdles after she has cleared most of them.
“Sometimes I don’t do the things I have to,” she said. “It’s like I’m doubting or something. I let her (Lisicki) play instead of from the first point dictating myself. Against Venus I played her in Rome and beat her in Rome. I know her weapons. I have my weapons. I have nothing to lose.”
Safina has also been defending her ranking and has been deflecting questions on whether she is being shown respect for being the number one. She is also having to fend off pointed questions about her mental frailty. The questions alone seem hardly conducive to a fragile player building confidence against a five-times champion. Still, she retains a sense of humour.
“If I did (work on the mental side) I would not serve 250 double faults. It’s just my brain doesn’t do the things that I have to.”
The other Williams sibling, Serena, faces a Russian, Elena Dementieva, who has also distinguished herself with decent runs but never to the end line. Neither player has dropped a set so far.
The 27-year-old American has hit 40 aces and nine double faults to Dementieva’s 14 aces and 33 double faults, giving Williams a positive 31-point score on service and Dementieva a negative 19-point mark. So, the difference between them on serve alone over five matches is 50 points in Williams favour, which is astonishing.
Still Dementieva is more toned and fitter than she has been in recent years and she came into this season on the back of Olympics gold.
“I’m just trying to play very aggressive and trying very hard not to think what I have to do against this player or that player,” she said.
“Last season winning the Olympic medal was a big moment for me and it gave me a lot of confidence. Unforgettable moment, unforgettable memories.”
And maybe more today for a place in the final.
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