Ivanovic unlikely to choke on this occasion

Tennis: WHEN DINARA Safina was 14 years old her older brother Marat was winning the US Open title in New York.

Today the younger sister steps on to the centre court at Roland Garros to try to lift the trophy her brother never won.

Smashed racquets aside, one of Marat's most memorable contributions to the French Open was dropping his shorts on court in 2004, for which he was docked a point. Little sister is hoping to be remembered for something more salubrious.

But for Safina to emulate her brother and become a Grand Slam champion she must face down the sense of expectation that the title is there for her opponent, Ana Ivanovic, to win or lose. A finalist twice before, in Paris last year and at this year's Australia Open, as well as becoming the number one player in the world when the rankings come out on Monday, Ivanovic fits the picture of Roland Garros winner more readily than Safina.

In Safina's favour Ivanovic is facing more pressure now than ever before in her career. The prospect of becoming a three-time loser at the tournament that represents the pinnacle of her ambitions could be disfiguring.

There is also a strong sense that a world number one should also be a Grand Slam winner and not just an accumulation of points on a the WTA computer.

"Pressure always comes with everything you do," said Ivanovic yesterday. "And when I was number two and number three you always feel pressure. So it's important to learn how to deal with it and I feel I've found some ways to deal with it and it works good for me."

While Ivanovic choked 6-1, 6-2 in last year's final against Justine Henin, it's unlikely that will happen again. She will step on court knowing the quality of her ground strokes and an improvement on her serve from the semi-final will in themselves force the best from Safina's retrieving game.

But the 22-year-old Russian is nothing if not a fighter and yesterday said there are elements of her character that are not unlike those of her brother, who won the Australian Open in 2005 and the US title in 2000.

"Sometimes I behave not very nice," she said. "I am breaking the racquets also and I also say not nice words on the court. But I'm like this. I know I'm not perfect, but the people have to like me the way I am. I don't want to hide my personality. I am the way I am."

That she has twice saved match points and come back to win illustrates how hungry Safina is to stay in a game. She will need that today and her patience too. Against Jelena Jankovic in the semi-final, Ivanovic hit 43 winners and 45 unforced errors.

Safina should visualise balls pinging past her and hitting the lines as well as landing six feet out.

"It's going to be, again, about the one who first starts to dominate the point," said Safina,

"because she likes to be aggressive and I also want to be aggressive. The one that is going to be the more aggressive and take the incentive in the point is going to win."