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05.06.2008 - Ivanovic to face Safina in final

French Open: Sunday 25 May to Sunday 8 June
Coverage:
BBC TV, BBCi, Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website.

The Czech Republic news are represented by www.czechrepublic-prague.com



World number two Ana Ivanovic will play 13th seed Dinara Safina in the French Open women's final on Saturday.

Last year's runner-up Ivanovic lost the second set and was a break down in the decider against Jelena Jankovic.

The 20-year-old Serb broke back and then stormed through to claim a 4-6 6-3 4-6 victory.

Ivanovic cruises into last eight ...
Sharapova through to round four ...
Injury forces out Roddick in Rome ...
Safina was in unstoppable form as she overpowered fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3 6-2 to reach her maiden Grand Slam final.

In the absence of the now retired Justine Henin, a new French Open women's champion will be crowned.

And Ivanovic knows that victory will see her replace Maria Sharapova as the world number one.

"It was tough, there were a lot of up and downs and I'm just so happy I stayed strong at the end," she said.

"The final is going to be tough but I'm very excited."

Ivanovic overcame a 3-0 deficit to win six consecutive games, which gave her the first set and a 2-0 lead in the second.

But this year's beaten Australian Open finalist then began to struggle with her serve just as her fellow Serb began playing more aggressive tennis.

Jankovic won seven consecutive games and led 2-0 in the final set before Ivanovic mounted what proved a decisive comeback.

In the final game she broke serve by hitting four winners, including a ferocious forehand return on match point.

Although younger than 22-year-old Safina, Ivanovic is certain to go into the final as the firm favourite.

But, buoyed by victories over world number one Maria Sharapova, seventh seed Elena Dementieva and now world number four Kuznetsova, Safina will herself be confident of lifting the title.

She has been one of the Tour's in-form players on clay this season, winning Berlin, and dominated Kuznetsova throughout to claim a thoroughly deserved triumph.

The pair now share a 4-4 head-to-head record and Safina's win makes up for her quarter-final defeat to Kuznetsova at Roland Garros in 2006.

Safina, who saved match points against Sharapova in the fourth round and Dementieva in the quarter-finals, raced into a 4-1 lead by breaking her opponent twice in the first five games.

Despite working her way back to 4-3, Kuznetsova was broken again and Safina served out the set to leave the 2004 US Open champion shell-shocked.

Kuznetsova was becoming increasingly frustrated as she failed to establish her normal rhythm - earning a warning for angrily smashing a ball into the sky - and, crucially, she was broken at 2-2 in the second set.

Safina, seeded 13, overcame two break points the very next game and then broke again to take a 5-2 lead.

A litany of unforced errors, allied to Safina's stunning forehand, reduced Kuznetsova to a shadow of her normal self and the 2006 finalist pulled a forehand horribly wide to seal her defeat.

"It feels amazing. I didn't expect to get to the final," said Safina, the younger sister of Marat Safin, who won the 2000 US Open and the 2005 Australian.

"At 5-2 I got a little bit tired but thought, 'I have to be aggressive or I'm going home.

"I won in two sets, which is strange for me, but I'm happy because I played well today.

"I'm doing it for Marat and myself, I'm doing it for the family. I was just taking it day by day and it's when you least expect them that the results come."

Kuznetsova said: "It was pretty horrible. I felt pretty bad out there. I felt like I could not give her fight because I was fighting first against myself."

(BBC)

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