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Dinara Safina - Source: Photosport -
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Dinara Safina overpowered her fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-3
7-6 on Thursday to join Serena Williams in the final of the
Australian Open.
The combination of Safina's heavier shot-making and aggression
proved too much for Zvonareva as the third seed closed out victory
in one hour and 46 minutes under a closed roof at the Rod Laver
Arena.
Safina won four games in a row to take the opening set after
trailling 2-3 then broke Zvonareva's brittle serve to force the
tiebreak after the seventh seed blew her chance to force a deciding
third set.
Safina, 22, reached the French Open final last year but is now on
the verge of a first grand slam title after rebounding from a shaky
start to the tournament to produce her best performance when it
mattered most.
The winner of Saturday's final will recieve an added bonus of
taking over the world number one ranking from Serbia's Jelena
Jankovic, who was knocked out in the fourth round at Melbourne Park
this year.
"Since I was growing up it has been my dream one day to be number
one," Safina said in a courtside interview.
"To play against Serena and to fight for the number one is just
going to be unbelievable.
"I just hope it will be a good match that we can all enjoy and
whoever wins, we'll shake hands at the end of the match and say
'well you deserve to be number one'."
Safina is also trying to complete a unique family double in
Australia by emulating her older brother Marat Safin, who won the
men's singles title in 2005.
"I watched my brother on TV winning this tournament and even when I
watch it now I have tears in my eyes," Safina said.
"It is great that I can follow his footsteps because he was my idol
and he is still my idol. That I'm doing as well as him is just
amazing.
"It was his birthday two days ago, maybe I have earned some money
to buy him a gift."
No lapses
Safina had struggled throughout the tournament, surviving two match
points in an extraordinary comeback to beat French teenager Alize
Cornet in the fourth round, but was at her best against
Zvonareva.
She still committed a whopping 42 unforced errors but there was no
repeat of the lapses in concentration that plagued her in the early
rounds.
Zvonareva, who had won all her previous matches in straight sets,
made a nervous start to her maiden grand slam semi-final,
double-faulting on the second point of the match to concede her
opening service game to love.
The 24-year-old Muscovite steadied herself to comfortably hold her
next service game then started attacking Safina's serve, which was
starting to show signs of vulnerability.
Zvonareva broke back to level at 2-2 then held again to lead 3-2
before Safina seized control, cutting down on her errors and
putting the pressure back on her opponent.
Safina, who has shed seven kilograms in the last year and showed
off her new figure in a canary yellow shirt and black skirt, reeled
off the next four games to wrap up the opening set in 39 minutes
off a Zvonareva backhand error.
Zvonareva, dressed in a more conservative all-white dress, broke
Safina's serve in the fifth game of the second set but failed to
capitalise on her advantage.
She dropped her next service game and her frustrations started to
boil over when she disputed a line call with American chair umpire
Lynn Welch then slapped the ball away in anger.
Zvonareva had the chance to force a third set when she broke in the
11th game but failed to hold and lost the tiebreak and the match on
a crosscourt forehand winner from Safina.
