The following is the archive story written by the late, great Hall of Fame tennis journalist and personality Bud Collins from his recently republished website www.BudCollins.com about Svetlana Kuznetsova as she won her second major singles title at Roland Garros in 2009 when she defeated her compatriot Dinara Safina in the final. The story is titled “FIVE YEARS LATER KOOZY ADDS SECOND MAJOR; SAFINA SHAKEN BY FINALITIS” and can be read below.
June 6, 2009 by budcollins Leave a comment
PARIS – Dinara Safina wore the face of a woman who had just seen her house burn down. And she forgot to insure it. Or maybe she let the children play with matches.
Well, a tennis court is pretty much Dinara’s home, and none is more desirable for a European than the main clay rectangle of Roland Garros, where she, the planet’s No. 1, went up in flames in an attempt to win the French Open Sunday. She lit the final match herself and double-faulted on the championship point, while the other Russian in the uneven drama, Svetlana Kuznetsova, kept the champion in the spotlight, 6-4, 6-2. It lasted 73 heady minutes.
“On the first mistake,” Koozy recalls, “I said to myself, Oh God, she’s so nervous.” Then the second ball hit the tape and bounced into the alley. “Oh my God, double fault. I turned around and smiled at my friends and did this [crossing herself] because I believe God helped me. But I respect Dinara too much to smile in her face. .” This is how she maintained her down-to-earth appearance during the trophy presentation.
Safina and Kuznetsova, both 23, grew up playing against each other and maintaining their cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, in an inter-communal rivalry as fierce as Boston and New York. As a professional, Muscovite Safina now has an 8-6 lead and has risen to number 1, while her big brother, Marat Safin, has fallen from that eminence of 2000 to the current number 20. A remarkable household indeed. The Williams Sisters have both been No. 1, but never before had a sister-brother climbed so high.
However, not many people are happy with Dinara as number 1, because she has never won a major (big brother has two). Moreover, given the chance, she was humiliated in this final a year ago by the beautiful Serbian Ana Ivanovic, by Serena in the Australian final this year, and now – largely by herself with seven double faults and 22 errors. (The scorekeeper was kind; she had many more.) Although Safina won her first six matches after losing one set, she appears to have finalitis.
The soon-to-be champion served for the first set at 5-3 and was overtaken by her infamous Koozy Quivers, spoiling the match in four points. It didn’t matter, because Safina’s nerves were stretched even tighter. “I was desperately trying to get my game going,” Dinara says, “but I lost myself.”
The shivers in the wrong places, which had almost cost Koozy previous victories here over Serena and Samantha Stosur, were quickly knocked down and the robust Kuznetsova started hitting winners.
“I was calm. I can’t explain it. It was a similar feeling when I won the US Open.” [2004].” A handy inside-out forehand return brought her to the set point, which she took with a beautiful double-barreled backhand.
Safina held on at 2-2 in the second, but that was it. The packed audience of 14,845 people tried to revive her with rapid hand clapping. Then the “wave”, a fan tactic that Gaston Gaudio revived in 2004. He rose from two sets down to defeat Guillermo Coria in the all-Argentine final. Nothing helped, neither for the straitjacket Dinara, nor for the customers who hoped for more from her. But it was as grim as the sky of charcoal clouds, cold as Dinara’s game, 55 degrees.
Meanwhile, No. 7 Koozy outwitted her compatriot by attacking with deep grounders, profitably used volleys and drop shots, and looked like she should be No. 1. (Blame Medusa, the WTA Tour’s giddy computer, for Safina retaining the top spot.)
“I’ve had problems playing Dinara, but this was the most important match we played, so I’m happy.” She rises to No. 5 and will one day be a candidate for the Hall of Fame with her two majors.
She also had problems between her two big successes, dropping to number 18 in 2005. She thought about quitting, and guess who got her out? Dinara’s brother, Marat.
One of the first Russians to play the game was the scribbler Tolstoy. He would have loved an all-Russian final, and these two nice women, however they played. He might have said yesterday that Kuznetsova was wary and Safina too peaceful.
Posted under: French OpenTagged with: Kuzntesov
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