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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 5:32 a.m., Saturday, June 7, 2008

Tennis: Ivanovic wins French Open final

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic reacts as she defeats Russia's Dinara Safina during the women's final match of the French Open tennis tournament, Saturday, June 7, 2008 at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris.

CHRISTOPHE ENA | Associated Press

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PARIS — This time Ana Ivanovic was ready for the French Open final.

Showing no sign of the nerves that afflicted her a year ago, Ivanovic won her first Grand Slam title Saturday by beating Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3.

By reaching the final, Ivanovic had already assured herself of being ranked No. 1 for the first time next week. And her performance was No. 1-caliber against Safina.

The 20-year-old Serb slugged winners from both sides and scurried to make saves that extended points, which led to plenty of entertaining rallies. Ivanovic won most of them, including one frantic exchange that she finished off with a delicate drop shot and ferocious fist pump.

A shaky Ivanovic played in her first major final a year ago at Roland Garros and won only three games from Justine Henin. But against Safina she was as cool as the 65-degree weather, showing hardly a bead of perspiration even after sprinting corner to corner to retrieve shots.

Ivanovic won match point with a solid backhand. After blowing kisses to the crowd, she used a chair to climb into the stands and share hugs with family and friends.

Henin, a four-time French Open champion who retired last month while ranked No. 1, watched and applauded from the front row.

For the third consecutive year Sunday, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet in the men's final. The top-ranked Federer will again try for the only Grand Slam title to elude him, and Nadal will attempt to become the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1981 to win a fourth consecutive French Open title.

Ivanovic's worst moment came serving at 4-3 in the first set, when she squandered a 40-love lead by losing the next five points. She quickly regrouped and won five of the next six games to take command.

First-time Grand Slam finalist Safina fended off a match point in consecutive rounds this week, rallying each time after she lost the first set and trailed 5-2 in the second.

But the Russian ran out of comebacks. She needed 20 points to hold for 3-4 in the second set, and from 15-all in the next game, Ivanovic swept the last seven points.

The final was the third in the past five major tournaments for Ivanovic. She was runner-up at this year's Australian Open.

The No. 13-seeded Safina was trying to join her brother, two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin, in winning a major title. They're the first sister and brother to reach a Grand Slam final.