Will Safarova surprise again when facing Williams in Roland Garros final?

Maybe Ana Ivanovic should have been more superstitious ahead of her defeat on day 12 of Roalnd Garros, where Lucie Safarova was allowing her victory to sink in. Serena Williams fought the flu to come through. But what will the final bring?

Serena Williams in action during the Roland Garros semi final Reuters/Jason Cairnduff Livepic

The signs were there Ana, the signs were there 

Ana Ivanovic won the title at Roland Garros in 2008. But since then she hasn’t been anywhere near the latter stages of the tournament. So for all her many fans it was a joy to see her doing well before her defeat in the last four to the Czech 13th seed Lucie

Safarova. Ivanovic was at this year’s tournament with her boyfriend Bastian Schweinsteiger. This is all very lovely. But someone in the Ivanovic inner circle should have perhaps come over all superstitious. Schweini – as he is known in German tabloid speak – was able to come and support his lady love from the outset of Roland Garros on 25 May because his team Bayern Munich had lost in the semi-final of the German Cup (final 30 May) and in the semi-final of the Uefa Champions League (final 6 May). They say love is blind. 

After Rafael Nadal, Ana Ivanovic shows grandeur in loss 

Following his straight sets loss to top seed Novak Djokovic on day 11, Rafael Nadal said he would work hard and be back full of confidence for the next Roland Garros. Anyone who has been around the 29-year-old Spaniard knows he will be true to his word. He was not in despair following the setback – a record nine titles in 11 years, ain’t bad kind of thing. Ana Ivanovic too was upbeat in defeat.

“I really feel I'm on the right path. There is work to be done and I look forward to that,” she said following her loss to Lucie Safarova. “What I achieved these two weeks, I'm really proud and happy. I'm aware there is still room for improvement and that's the exciting part.” 

Patience brings it rewards 

Lucie Safarova has been on the tour for 12 years and is into her first grand slam final. She is obviously delighted by this. “To reach this point finally. I think you appreciate it much more. It's slowly sinking in and it's just amazing.” 

Old and cold 

Many years ago in the review’s youth, we were a cub reporter on a newspaper in south-west London. The newspaper ran a series of articles to highlight the terrible conditions pensioners had to endure at Christmas time. The campaign was called “Old and Cold”. We were reminded of the campaign title on day 12 as news emerged that top seed Serena Williams had been struck down with a fever just before her semi-final match against Timea Bacsinszky. The Russian second seed Maria Sharapova also suffered from a cold at the start of the tournament. She battled her way through to the fourth round before Lucie Safarova sent her home for a trip to the medics. Sharapova at 28 and Williams at 33 are doughty veterans of the circuit. But the dowager of the circuit is still alive and kicking. She’ll be in the final on day 14.

If you are going to win the first set Lucie …make sure you win the second 

Lucie Safarova is into her first grand slam final. The Czech 13th seed will play the top seed Serena Williams. Their ninth meeting will be enthralling. They played the first of their eight matches in 2007 in Hobart. Williams won that and has triumphed in the following seven. But there is a first time for everything. And why not on centre court at the French Open, one of the biggest stages of them all? Safarova should be confident. She hasn’t dropped a set in her six matches this year at Roland Garros; one of them was the elimination in the fourth round of the defending champion and second seed Maria Sharapova. Williams, by contrast, has been alarmingly frivolous with her opening sets. She’s lobbed them at Anna-Lena Friedsam in the second round, Viktoria Azarenka in the third round and Sloane Stephens in the last 16.

After a straight-sets breeze over Sara Errani in the quarter-final, Serena was back in munificent mode. She lost the first set of her semi-final 4-6. She then compounded the error by virtually handing the semi to Timea Bacsinszky. Williams went a break behind in the second to trail 2-3. But, lordy me, just as Bacsinszky was eyeing the daylight of a 4-2 lead, Serena started one of her rolls. She won four on the trot to claim the second set 6-3. And she collected the next six to win the match.