Dinara News Thread

[Happiness]

reese said:

I can watch the final - Eurosport is broadcasting it ;D ;D Wohoo

YAY!!! Finally after so many time I was able to see her yesterday and today again!!! ;D ;D

I was really missing all that stress moving myself constantly on my chair, bitting my nails, screaming at the top of my lungs encouraging her and most of all the white hairs that girl gives me anytime she plays!!! LOL

But it's all worth it just to see my favourite player!!! ;D ;D

[Happiness]

Dinara Safina lost to Jelena Jankovic: 2-6; 2-6!!!

The weather was terrible!!! Somehow it was Jelena who managed to adaptate herself better to the windy conditions on court. Dinara simply lost her concentration and her balls sometimes were too long!

But what hurted me the most was at the end of the game after the players shaked their hands when Dinara was seeing messages on her cellphone and started crying!!!

I just wanted to go out there hug her and tell her that no matter what she has it in her!!! She just needs to believe in herself a little more!!!

Besides Dina you'll be back at Top 10 next week and the clay season just started!!!

And there's still a lot to go till the end of this year!!! ;D

Being on a final of a Tier I again is great (even if you couldn't win it ) and I'm sure that gave a different perspective of things and you've learned a lot from it!

I will always be here supporting you!!!

[Mrs. Fabregas]

happiness said:

Dinara Safina lost to Jelena Jankovic: 2-6; 2-6!!!

But what hurted me the most was at the end of the game after the players shaked their hands when Dinara was seeing messages on her cellphone and started crying!!!

Awwww... Poor Dina..... .
Better luck next time..... But you've made it to the final.... Don't forget that!!!!!!!!!!

[maribrasil]

That was not her fist final. She reached the final in Rome last year and lost to Hingis.
I really thought she could win this one, but the wind...well...
I'm actually glad that I didn't see her crying cause I would've cried too.

Anyway, she should be happy for reaching a Tier I final again and get ready for the next tounament. So cheer up Dina!

[Annie]

[Happiness]

And here are some photos from the match against Jankovic







































































































P.S. I'm sorry if there are photos already posted I don't have time now for check it up

[Happiness]

And here are some news from the match against Jankovic


JANKOVIC WINS FAMILY CIRCLE CUP

CHARLESTON, SC, USA - One year ago she was in the midst of a 10-match losing streak and working her way down the rankings. It's funny how the wind can change direction at the drop of a hat, however; on an incredibly blistery Sunday afternoon in Charleston, Jelena Jankovic continued her awesome career turnaround and climb up the Top 10 with her third and biggest Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title at the Family Circle Cup.

Sunday's final was somewhat anticlimactic, considering Jankovic's marathon semifinal against an unseeded Venus Williams, which lasted for more than two-and-a-half hours, ending with the No.2-seeded Serb winning, 36 63 76(5). No.4 seed Dinara Safina provided little resistance in the windy final, going down in straight sets, 6-2 6-2.

"I had an awesome week here," Jankovic said. "Especially beating Venus. Today in the final it was a bit of a different story because of the weather. It was really windy and tough circumstances, but I gave my best, and I'm the champion. I'm so happy I won this title. It's my first Tier I title. It's a really amazing feeling."

Safina came out strong in the early stages of both sets, going up 2-1 in the first then 2-0 in the second, but every time Jankovic retaliated with a string of easy games, none of which even went to deuce. It was over in one hour, 11 minutes.

"It was not my day," Safina said. "I was struggling with the weather, but it was the same for her, so I think she was able to handle it better than me. I was giving away too many free points. With this weather you have to make someone play."

"She was having a difficult time, but I was also; it's not easy playing in this kind of weather, but there is nothing you can do about it," Jankovic added. "Especially when we were serving. I was just trying to stay focused and positive out there."

By virtue of reaching her second career Tier I final, having finished runner-up at Rome to Martina Hingis last year, Safina will return to the Top 10 on Monday, at No.10. She was No.10 for four weeks last year and three more in January. With a title here she could have risen to No.9, but she was still pleased with her week.

"I'm definitely happy," the Russian said. "I wouldn't have expected to reach the finals. If somebody told me I was going to be in the final I would shake his hand and say 'I'll give you half of my prize money.' Sometimes it just goes your way."

For Jankovic, the title win represents another giant step in her career turnaround. She was a first round loser at this event last season then fell out of the Top 30, but she was one of the hottest players of the year thereafter; she hasn't changed a thing in 2007, claiming Auckland in January, cracking the Top 10 soon after and, with her second title of the year here, moving up to No.7 on Monday.

"You see what I mean by the wind?" Jankovic joked. "Some things are meant to happen for a reason. Maybe if those things didn't happen I wouldn't be here. That period made me a lot stronger and now I realize some things and values. Now, I appreciate my results a little more; I appreciate things a lot more than before."

One of the things the 22-year-old will appreciate when she returns to defend her trophy next year is a banner of her among former champions at the event, which include tennis legends Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, as well as a smattering of active players like Jennifer Capriati, Martina Hingis, Mary Pierce and Justine Henin.

"I'm the new poster girl," Jankovic said. "Next year, when I come here, hopefully I'll see my picture up there. It's a good feeling!"

The draw was rocked on Tuesday as Nicole Vaidisova and Serena Williams both made early exits; the No.1-seeded Vaidisova dropped her opener to fellow teen Michaella Krajicek, while a No.3-seeded Williams was forced to retire from her match injured. Wednesday saw Patty Schnyder, one of Charleston's best players in years past, continue her disappointing season with an opening round loss to China's Shuai Peng, who recently acquired ATP legend Michael Chang as her coach. The later rounds saw two young stars go home early due to injury, with Amelia Island champion Tatiana Golovin retiring from her quarterfinal and Vera Zvonareva stopping during her semifinal, both against Safina.

[Happiness]

JANKOVIC TAKES CHARLESTON TITLE

Jelena Jankovic of Serbia captured her third career title by defeating Dinara Safina 6-2 6-2 in the final of WTA Charleston on Sunday.

Despite severe windy conditions with gusts of up to 56 mph, second-seeded Jankovic got 84 percent of her first serves in and double-faulted only twice.

"The ball was going all over the place," said Jankovic, who defeated five-times grand slam champion Venus Williams in the semi-finals. "We did the best we could."

She added: "I was just trying to watch the ball carefully and move my feet so that I'm kind of set on the ball. But still, even though you move, it's going all over the place, so you cannot really tell."

As Jankovic wrapped up the post-match press conference, the temporary structure serving as media headquarters was being pounded by winds that shook the building.

"Oh, my God," she said. "I never had a press conference like this either. Is it safe to be here?"

Safina had severe problems controlling her big strokes and powerful serve. She said: "I was struggling with the weather, but it was the same for her so I think she was able to handle it better than me."

In Monday's world rankings, Jankovic will advance two positions to a career-high seventh. Safina moves from 12 to ten.

[Happiness]

And Dinara's interview from her match against Jankovic


A POST-MATCH INTERVIEW WITH DINARA SAFINA

DANNY KENDALL: We'll take questions for Dinara.

QUESTION: Dinara, it seemed like the kind of day where about the only thing you can do is get the ball back in the middle of the court and kind of try to outlast your opponent. Is that about right? How did the match go for you?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, it was difficult to play the game, definitely, from the beginning of the match, but I think I was a little bit trying on myself, you know, like I was struggling with the weather, but it was the same for her, so I think she was able to handle it better than me. And I think I was giving too many free points. I mean even with this weather you have to make someone play, you know. I was just giving too many easy points.

QUESTION: Why do you think she was better able to handle it than you? Did you just get too frustrated by the wind?

DINARA SAFINA: Maybe, you know. I was just trying too much, you know. I was trying to go for the winners because I had no patience. I just played back, you know. I had it at the moment, and then it was just it's not my game. Even if I play like this, I will not win. So I was just still trying to play my game, you know, and well, it was not my day.

QUESTION: I know you're disappointed about losing today, but can you talk about your tournament as a whole and how you played this week?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, definitely I'm happy, you know. I wouldn't expect to make a finals. If somebody would tell me you're going to be in the final, I will shake his hand and say, okay, I'll give you half of my prize money. But you know, I was a little bit lucky, you know, with the two retirements, but I think sometimes it goes like this, you know. In some tournaments you really can play and you can have every first round or second round really tough opponent and you still fight with them, but you lose, and sometimes it just goes your way. So well, I'm glad I did this. I took my chances.

QUESTION: How was it for you this morning with the iffy weather? Were you sure if you were going to play or not? Were you able to prepare just like normal?

DINARA SAFINA: Actually it was not the way, you know, I'm used to having. Normally like I do warmup, I still have one hour, but it was like we were not able to go outside. It was dangerous to go warming up, and suddenly they go like at 12:20, 12:15, they go, "you can warm up, but at 1:00 we have to start the match." So for me it was not in my kind of routine that I am confident that you feel like relaxed, so it turned everything too fast, so maybe -- oh, it's not an excuse because she had the same, but maybe just it was a little bit too much, too fast.

QUESTION: What exactly was the wind doing? Was it swirling around and you couldn't tell what was going to happen or could you judge that it was going a certain way?

DINARA SAFINA: It was going everywhere. It was difficult to serve, like you're tossing the ball and the ball just goes like the ball just flying in front or like whatever. It's like it just depends on the little ball, you know. You don't know where to go. You're running behind him every time.

QUESTION: You were up 2-0 in the first set, 2-0 in the second set. What happened that made you lose that momentum and was it different in the first set than in the second set?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, in the second set I just said like, okay, you know, no matter what, I have to play my game, you know. And I was 2-0 up, okay, I lost my serve 2-1. I had 2-1, 0-30 on her serve, 2-2, 30-0 on my serve. I mean those games I had at least to close up, and then it would be different. It could be 4-1 for me instead of 3-2 or her. Then it's, okay, it's more difficult. Then she's in front, and you know, it's easy to go when you are in front, even with this weather. So I think I just -- even with the little chances I had, I didn't take them.

QUESTION: Dinara, have you ever played a match of this magnitude in these type conditions?

DINARA SAFINA: Not really, no.

QUESTION: Dinara, what does she do? I know she frustrates a lot of her opponents. What does she do to frustrate you out there on the court or anybody that she plays? What's her strength that gets to players?

DINARA SAFINA: Does she frustrate me?

QUESTION: Yeah. Well, does she frustrate you? What does she do that frustrates other players?

DINARA SAFINA: I don't know what she does for other players, but I was just thinking about the weather, not about her. It was the weather. What can I do about her? I'm playing against her, but I was thinking about the weather, but I shouldn't do this because I couldn't change. It's something if I can switch off the wind, then you can be angry, but this...

QUESTION: How close was it to being where you felt like you shouldn't play?

DINARA SAFINA: What do you mean? Do you think I decide if I play or not?

QUESTION: No. I know you don't decide, but how close do you think the weather was to being where you felt like the officials should decide to wait? Was it close?

DINARA SAFINA: I don't know. The whole match I was thinking about this, because I mean I was like what I'm doing? It was so windy, it's tough to play our game. We're both going there like, oh, you know, trying our best and still like we do some funny shots, you know, and no one really loved it, so but, well, that's the rules. You know, we have to play with the wind. So it's a mental game. So maybe I have to get better in the mental.

QUESTION: You take a lot of time between points, and so there were times when the wind would kick up between your serves and you would just wait and wait and wait. In retrospect, do you think that's the best way to go about it or if you wait too long, you lose your focus?


DINARA SAFINA: Well, you're always thinking that in a certain moment it's going to go a little bit down, you know, the wind, so you try you don't even think to go for an ace. You just think how can I place it in the little box, you know, in the lines, you know. So well, everyone is is different. Well, I prefer not to wait, and in one moment you feel, okay, this is a little bit less that I can control my ball, and then I'm going for the serve.

DANNY KENDALL: Any more questions? Thank you very much.

DINARA SAFINA: Thank you.

END OF INTERVIEW

[Elisabeth]

Happy 21th Birthday Dinara !!! ;D

[Annie]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DINOCHKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D

[maribrasil]

Happy Birthday, Dina !!!!!

[annie]

[Dina]

happy birthday dina!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mrs. Fabregas]

TO DINARA