Safina comes through Venus epic

Eurosport - Sat, 09 May 17:40:00 2009

World number one Dinara Safina came from behind against Venus Williams to win an epic WTA Rome semi-final 6-7 6-3 6-4 and set up an all-Russian final.

TENNIS 2009 WTA Rome Dinara Safina - 0

Safina rallied from a set and 2-0 down to earn the right to face her compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, who barged past Belarussian Victoria Azarenka with a 6-2 6-4 win.

The pair will meet in a final for the second week running after Kuznetsova beat Safina to capture the Stuttgart Grand Prix last Sunday and end a barren run stretching back to 2007.

"She (Kuznetsova) is another great player and she's playing some of her best tennis," Safina said.

"So I'll have to go out there and play my best like did I today."

American fourth seed Williams played the tidier, more intelligent tennis early on to go 4-1 and then 5-2 ahead.

Safina, who also fought back to get past China's Zheng Jie and Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez this week, refused to cave in and began to mixed up her game more.

She delivered some booming forehand winners to force a tiebreak but the American held her nerve to take it 7-3 with a dropshot.

Williams kept up the pace to go 2-0 up in the second set before Safina stormed back to win six of the next seven games to level the contest.

The Russian twice let a break advantage slip in the third set but she broke again with a powerful crosscourt backhand return.

She then saved four break points in the following game and failed to convert two match points before finally clinching an enthralling match that lasted over three hours.

"She was a little bit passive (at the end of the match)," added Safina. "I think she showed me she was maybe nervous too and I went for the shots and I did the right thing. She pushed me to play my best."

Despite the defeat, the WTA said Williams would jump from fifth to third in the world rankings next week, her highest position since 2003.

"She played well, continued to fight for every point," Williams said.

"She went for every shot. She just hit every ball as hard as she could. Obviously she didn't want me to have the first shot or to take control. If she can hit every ball that hard and keep it in, then congratulations to her."

In the other semi-final Kuznetsova initially found it easy to attack 19-year-old Azarenka's serve and won the first set at a canter.

Azarenka began the second set by winning the first two games and was unlucky in the third, when Kuznetsova held a tough service game with the help of a bad call on the final point.

She protested and the incident seemed to rattle her. Her seventh seeded opponent took advantage to break back with a fine backhand cross court winner on the way to going 5-2 ahead.

The Belarussian threatened to come back, pulling up to 5-4 before the former US Open champion broke again to clinch the match.

Watch coverage of WTA Rome throughout the week live on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe. Or watch on British Eurosport and British Eurosport 2, right up to the final at 3pm on Saturday May 9. British Eurosport is available on Sky channel 410 and Virgin Media channel 521, and British Eurosport 2 on Sky 411 and Virgin Media 525.

Reuters

Comment 4 - 23 of 43

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  1. Congratuations to Dinara Safina. Well done. It was a­ pleasure to watch. Venus has reaklly improved a play.­ Safina and Venu's fighting spirit is very similar.­ The best WTA match in a year. These to should be number­ 1 and 2 and Svetlana 3

    From B, on Sat 9 May 12:51PM

  2. I already suggested earlier Dinara can make it 2-1 to­ win the match and she did it!!! Seems that she finally­ managed to break the mental block she was in for some­ time. Bravo Dinara you're a great fighter!
    @No.14­ - Venus is a great player and not only this, she has a­ wonderful personality: always giving credits to her­ opponents first, never being haughty. And she played a­ good tennis in semi-final, the only thing she­ coudn't do is to brake Safina's exceptional­ fighting spirit crushing everything on its­ way.
    Congratz to the girls & looking forward to the­ all-Russian final!

    From Drie K, on Sat 9 May 11:35AM

  3. That match was great,
    but this time Safina prevailed in­ over 3 hours.
    The final for Roland Garros: Safina vs.­ Azarenka ;]

    From Pieter D, on Sat 9 May 11:01AM

  4. büyüksün safina

    From F?rat, on Sat 9 May 10:57AM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I discovered a hot place

    ------Meet rich C o M------­ where many sexy singles- who like dating and-- chatting­ there. I'm an open- minded girl from US, I-- am­ Waiting 4 u

    From chanmarry78, on Sat 9 May 8:55AM

  6. Venus did well considering that clay has never been­ her­ favorite surface. She has the reputation of­ faultering­ early @ the French Open just to kick some­ serious butt­ at the all England Club and the US Open.­ Now that's­ when the real tennis begins for the­ Wiliams Sister. For­ now all credit goes to Safina.

    From Chukwuemeka, on Sat 9 May 7:43AM

  7. Well thats what we tennis fans want, a challenge ? am­ glad they played out of there skin, congrats to Dinara

    From nechi, on Sat 9 May 7:40AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Good job Dinara. Always good to see the Williams­ sisters losing.

    From Nabucodonosor, on Sat 9 May 7:33AM

  9. How dare you don't get any technical advice, like­ safina did get! It would have helped to reduce your­ unforced errors, which were unbelievable. No matter any­ amount of winners you have hit, no one could have won­ with so many errors.

    From unzwa, on Sat 9 May 7:02AM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Venus is such a shame.

    From love_my_won_bin, on Sat 9 May 2:51AM

  11. Great result today. Safina played like a true world­ number 1, coming back from a set down and then a break­ down to win. Her shot-making today was unbelievable.­ She was out-hitting Williams, which is­ unusual.

    It's nice to see Venus actually giving­ credit to an opponent and, unlike her sister, not­ trying to take any credit away from her opponent by­ commenting on her own performance. Both were playing,­ for the most part, exceptional tennis and the better­ player on the day won.

    This is a really pleasing­ result as Safina has now substantiated she is world­ number 1 by beating a former champion and world number­ 1 and by also progressing to the final - which is much­ further than the louder of the Williams sisters­ reached.

    Serena - we all know who the true number 1­ is... and it's not you. Nice one, Dinara.

    Best of­ luck in the final. Play like you did today and I'm­ sure there'll be another trophy for your cupboard.

    From richmc23, on Sat 9 May 1:53AM

  12. we love our darling Dinara such composure & total­ commitment
    should provide an exciting FINAL

    From simioni44, on Sat 9 May 1:52AM

  13. GO KUZNETSOVA ure the best player in WTA. show the­ world ur real skills. best of luck

    From yorgobittar, on Sat 9 May 12:11AM

  14. All-russian final!
    Girls we are so proud of you­ here!
    Its gonna be another epic story!
    I love­ Safina's menthality.
    She is a winner!
    Kuznetsova is­ a bit heavy, but still world-class.
    Let's hope­ Dinarochka will not be so tired after Williams.

    From mark, on Fri 8 May 11:50PM

  15. Im so proud of you sveta

    From kristinafian, on Fri 8 May 10:27PM

  16. All-russian final again) GOOD LUCK GIRLS!! Love ya.

    From Olga, on Fri 8 May 6:48PM

  17. NOOOO! VIKAA!
    She lost but she made it to the semis,­ that's a good performance :]
    congrats to Kuzzy ;]
    I­ think she's gonna win her second straight title­ tomorrow.

    From Pieter D, on Fri 8 May 6:32PM

  18. so safina makes it into the final winning williams.­ congrats. glad that i didnt waste time wathing for­ three hours. this final should be behind her. sveta­ should surrender

    From KanatA, on Fri 8 May 6:26PM

  19. I love Kuz-Kuz too. She belongs in the top 4.

    From supermats, on Fri 8 May 4:02PM

  20. wish sveta luck, venus too.

    From sanchez1795, on Fri 8 May 4:01PM
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