Published: 23 May, 2009, 15:32
Edited: 23 May, 2009, 15:32
An impressive total of 15 women will fly the Russian flag the second Grand Slam of the season – the French Open, which starts on Sunday.
World No. 1 Dinara Safina is the evident favorite of the tournament. She is widely expected to go one better than last year's runner-up finish.
Safina has just clinched back-to-back titles. But despite her blistering form, the Russian refused to jump the gun, and look further than her first-round clash against Anne Keothavong of the UK.
"I just want to think and focus on one match at a time. I just want to focus on my game and step by step see how far I can get this year," Dinara Safina told AP news agency.
The other 14 Russians are Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, Vera Zvonareva, Anna Chakvetadze, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Maria Kirilenko, Vitalia Diatchenko, Vera Dushevina, Alisa Kleybanova, Alla Kudryavtseva, Ekaterina Makarova, Elena Vesnina, Nadia Petrova, and Maria Sharapova, who’s making her return to tennis after a shoulder injury.
And the player who beat Safina in the final last year, Ana Ivanovic, could be hampered by a recent injury. The Serb is in line to play the World No. 1 in the quarter-finals.
"Roland Garros is something very special for me. From the first year I went into the quarter finals, which was a big success. And then, two years ago, I was in the finals. And last year it was the title. I really have a lot of great memories from here. And I hope that I will be able to be successful again," Ana Ivanovic told AP news agency.