I have had enough of the unfair abuse she is getting so I’m starting the ”lay-off Dinara Safina” campaign.
The woman has had enough mocking for being world number one despite her failure to win a grand slam title. If she was 31 I may have some sympathy but she is only 23! Her ranking shouldn’t be a noose to be used to hang her with, instead she should be praised for her successful year.
If she was world number two and yet to be number one, she would be championed as a future slam winner, much like Andy Murray on the men’s tour. Labelling her as the worst number one in the sports history, as she has been by some media and fans, is ridiculous.
Being number one at a sport takes a scary amount of talent and an even greater amount of dedication. World number two Serena Williams, who has been vocal about her belief that she should be number one, certainly has the skills, 11 majors qualifies that argument, but if she wants to play fewer tournaments than most on the WTA tour then she will always struggle to become top dog.
I do not have a problem with the way Serena spends her time. I wish I could be as talented as her and win that many slams whilst producing, I’m told, a rather fetching line of jewellery and handbags, modelling, acting, charity work and her latest project as part-owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
Serena used her post-Wimbledon press conference to talk about the issue of her not being number one and had the worlds media it fits of laughter when she mockingly suggested that she hoped for another grand slam title to keep her at world number two.
Serena’s contemptuous words may earn a few laughs but is not respectful of Safina and her achievements.
Safina has won more matches and titles this year than Serena. She has battled through contests that she should really have lost thanks to a gritty determined attitude despite a woeful serve. Her U.S. Open second round three-set victory over Germany’s Kristina Barrois on Thursday was a prime example of this.
So can we all just lay-off Safina. Two grand slam finals this year and a semi-finalist at Wimbledon is not something to be mocked, rather applauded.
PICTURE: Dinara Safina of Russia reacts to a missed point during her match against Kristina Barrois of Germany at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, September 3, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best
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6 comments so far
I cannot think of anything more courageous than slugging through to win when you and the millions watching know you aren’t the picture of stellar perfection. Dinara, with no cheap shot comments, no gang of thugs behind her, and little encouragement from that guy who sits in her coaches box scowling at her every play, looking like a frog who’s lost his library card, keeps moving forard. I hugely admire her bravery and stamina. It’s easy when conditions roll in your favor, but to get through tough and dirty without crumbling is inspirational. A lot of people would just run home and hide under their beds.
- Posted by Capricia FlynnFinally I read something positive about Dinara. I hate to watch Tennis channel and hear most of the time who should be number one. The worse that if number two would be some Serbian girl then this question never come up. But because of American Serena then all this noise about. I agree about Serena’s other works to do then she has to pay the price. If you have a break in between then it easy come fresh to play instead of playing in all tournaments. There all girls are getting all of their knee-elbow-ankle problems. The only one comment about Dinara’s last play in US Open where she lost I have a funny feeling there is something more then regular lost: Dinara didn’t move well on the court like she was trying to save herself may be I am wrong but her stomach size and save herslef game tells me that she might pregnant. I could be wrong but it was stinky game.
- Posted by Olga[...] Left field » Blog Archive » Lay off Dinara Safina | Blogs | [...]
- Posted by Tennis Week: French Open Preview | The old good tennissurely bad luck safina but she talented and win defint more . she clever and telnted.
- Posted by mushtaqIt’s nice to finally see a article that doesn’t say how dinara safina shouldn’t even be top 10. It is not Dinara’s fault that serena williams has underperformed at the tour events and has only brought her game to the GS. Their are 45ish tournaments on the WTA tour not 4. When Serena mocks Dinara because all she won was Rome and Madrid she undermining those tournaments. It is very annoying to watch Serena Williams at an interview acting like she IS womans tennis. Whoever wrote this is right, we should not be saying how dinara has underperformed, but how she has been consistent.
- Posted by darcy[...] Left field » Blog Archive » Lay off Dinara Safina | Blogs | [...]
- Posted by Grand Slam Tennis – Dinara Searches Her First Australian Open | The old good tennis