Safina reveals secret of 2008 success

28 August, 2008, 22:58

Russia’s Dinara Safina has reached the final 32 at the U.S. Open, after outclassing Italy’s Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-3. The sixth seed overcame a couple of concentration lapses after skipping ahead early in both sets.

Safina established a 3-0 lead in the opening set and a 3-1 advantage in the second but each time seemed to lose her focus, allowing a scrambling Vinci to break back and threaten a fightback.

The Russian, who has a 17-1 win-loss record since Wimbledon, will next face Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky. Since May, Safina has reached six finals in seven tournaments.

She revealed that a recommendation in 2007 from Croatian Ivan Ljubicic turned around her career, which once saw her battling to crack the top ten.

Ljubicic advised the services of fellow countryman Zeljko Krajan as a coach and since they hooked up, Russian Safina has been almost unstoppable.

“Last year I knew that after U.S. Open I was going to stop (working) with my ex coach,” the world number six told reporters after dispatching Italy's Roberta Vinci 6-4 6-3 in the second round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.

“I wanted to work with Heinz Guenthardt but he could not travel a lot. So we needed to find a guy who could.

”I need to thank Ivan Ljubicic because he advised me (about Krajan). After (the) Australia (Open in January) I decided, okay, I'm going to work with him.

"First we'll give it a try until French Open. It turned out really good and now we working together.

“So I think I need to thank Ljubicic or invite him for dinner,” grinned Safina, who is one of six players who could top the rankings at the end of the season's final grand slam.

That run has included winning titles in Berlin, Los Angeles and Montreal. She also picked up a silver medal at the Olympics and having contested her first grand slam final at Roland Garros, is eager to go one better in New York.