Dinara Safina Prepares for Wimbledon

4 months ago 22nd Jun 10:34

Dinara Safina really has been the player in form in recent weeks storming to the top of the world rankings as well as having a good run during the clay season winning in Rome and Madrid.

Since her appearance in the French Open final the twenty three year old has been preparing for Wimbledon, which begins today, as she attempts to get beyond the third round for the very first time.

“I played a few good matches in Holland, it was just what I need to get use to the grass and now I’m here in London ready for Wimbledon where I have tow days off to get in the best shape as I can, said Safina.

And all eyes really are on the Russian who is still to claim her first Grand Slam after getting desperately close in the French Open only a few weeks ago.

“Of course it was a disappointing loss but I have taken the positives out of it it was a very good tournament for me and I played some good matches, it’s just a pity that I lost in the final.

“I know what was wrong and what was right and next time I will try and not make these mistakes and I’m looking to move forward and break through one day,” Safina said.

And this time of year really is the most congested part of the season with two Grand Slams, in the form of the French and Wimbledon, coming in quick succession leaving the players little time to adapt to the grass after playing on the clay.

“For the French we have a big break so we have much more time to get used to the clay, here it’s a little bit closer so we don’t have as much time to use to the surface.

“Starting from today I will try and get the best out of it and with each match hopefully I will feel better and better, but physically I’m fine.”

 Tennis was in the blood of the Russian number one with her mother Rauza Islanova, a high profile coach back in Russia, and Safina’s coach in the early stages of her development.

 “My mother is a coach so I had no other choice so she brought me to the tennis court, I didn’t get to choose much.” (laughs)

But it seemed that her mother saw in both her children a real talent for the sport as Dinara and her older brother Marat Safin have become the first brother-sister team that both reached world number 1 positions.

And Dinara revealed that ascending to the top of the rankings is something that she has been striving to achieve all of her career: “Well it was my dream to get there so it has taken the pressure off me because I always wanted to reach there and when you do it’s like one of my goals has been reached and that pressure is gone now.