Safina Loses to Kuznetsova--and her Nerves

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2009 Roland Garros Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova is back at Ozeki

One could not but feel sorry for Ozeki (=Champion) Dinara Safina after she had double faulted one last time and handed the match to her opponent, M1E Svetlana Kuznetsova. This was the third time within a year that Safina had lost a grand slam final. But while the first two losses had something inevitable about them--at Roland Garros 2008 to then-shooting star Ana Ivanovic, and at the Australian Open 2009 to an irresistible Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) Serena Williams--this time the feeling prevailed that Safina had wasted a final that was hers for the taking. Kuznetsova did little extraordinary, just placed solid strong groundstroke after groundstroke until Safina fluked.

For Kuznetsova this win means the return to Grand Slam glory after almost 5 years. She will also get the Ozeki rank back that she held in 2005/06. Kuznetsova is already one of the stronger career-high Ozeki of the open era: one of only 6 with more than one grand slam title (the others are Virginia Wade, Tracy Austin, Mary Pierce, Maria Sharapova and Amelie Mauresmo). With this victory, Kuznetsova has proven once more that she is always a threat and ready to jump in when the favorites jitter. Whether she has the tools to establish the kind of dominance needed for a Yokozuna (=Grand Champion) is another question though; we may get an answer at Wimbledon.

Safina seems to have the tools, but after this loss the question is whether she has the nerves. In this she is not dissimilar to her elder brother and fellow career-high Ozeki, the emotional and wildly popular Marat Safin. This commentator has little doubt that the big Russian with the big game will be with us for considerable time, possibly as a strong and consistent Ozeki. To make it to Yokozuna though she will need to develop the mindset of a grand champion. Maybe a little more maturing is all that is needed.

With French Open final played, the sanyaku-ranks for Wimbledon are set. Serena and Venus Williams will again top the banzuke as Yokozuna--with Venus at risk of being taken off the active Yokozuna list if she misses the quarterfinal. Then follow Safina, Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva at Ozeki. Dementieva is kadoban, however, and would be demoted to Sekiwake (=Junior Champion I) if she does not make the final 8 in England. There will again be no Sekiwake, while surprise semifinalists Samantha Stosur and Dominika Cibulkova have earned a career-first promotion to Komusubi (=Junior Champion II). Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic will drop out of the sanyaku ranks.