 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
No. 1 Safina rallies past Azarenka
PARIS (AP) - A slow start couldn’t stop top-ranked Dinara Safina from reaching the semifinals at the French Open.
Faced with a tough test for the first time in the tournament, Safina rallied to beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 Tuesday.
Safina, seeking her first Grand Slam title, lost only five games in the first four rounds. Against Azarenka, Safina was repeatedly lunging for shots early but regained her dominating form at 4-all in the second set.
Safina’s opponent Thursday will be the winner of the other women’s quarterfinal Tuesday between Maria Sharapova and Dominika Cibulkova.
Safina, the sister of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin, was the runner-up at the 2008 French Open and this year’s Australian Open. She became No. 1 for the first time on April 20 and is 19-1 this year on clay.
