Dinara Safina won a German Open plagued by so many big-name upsets it is almost impossible to pick a favorite to win at Roland Garros.
The 17th-ranked Russian beat countrywoman Elena Dementieva, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in Sunday’s final after wins against top-ranked Justine Henin and Serena Williams.
A French Open front-runner — if one emerges — will have to be produced this week in Rome — the last event before Roland Garros kicks off on May 25.
“It’s so unpredictable,” Dementieva said. “There is no one favorite, but a lot of players who can win.”
The German Open started with six of the world’s top seven — and 17 of 20 — before their ranks were devastated on a daily basis.
Dementieva took out two herself, world No. 5 Jelena Jankovic and fellow Serb No.2 Ana Ivanovic.
“It is the first tournament on clay and everybody is trying to find their rhythm,” Ivanovic said. “There is still time to get experience and match practice before Roland Garros.”
The 20-year-old Serb has two losing grand slam finals under her belt, including last year’s French Open, and feels she understands how to cope with the big match butterflies.
As to a favorite in Paris, Ivanovic points elsewhere.
“I think Justine still has a good chance, so do the Williams sisters,” Ivanovic said.
Safina said she will have to come down fast from the biggest week of her tennis career.
She flew to Rome yesterday to practice.
But perhaps her mother — who watched the final from the stands — may enjoy the win more, since her daughter collected 127,000 euros (US$197,000) for the title on Sunday, which was Mother’s Day in Germany.
“My mother can buy anything she wants,” Safina said. “She can walk into any store and I will pay for it.”
Safina is hesitant about her chances at Roland Garros.
“I don’t know if I can keep playing like this,” Safina said. “This week I played so good, starting with Justine [Henin], just so good.”
Safina said while her brother has an abundance of natural talent, she relies on hard work for her success.
“He is an unbelievable player,” Safina said. “He will practice for one and a half hours, then say why do you practice five? That’s why I will never understand my brother and he will never understand me.”
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set