Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Down 2-5 in the 3rd, win the match--the usual

What is it about Dinara Safina that her blood heats when she is down 2-5 in the third set? She has come back from 2-5 in the third so many times, one now just assumes she is going to win a match when her opponent serves for it. Last year, during one of these 2-5 in the third moments, commentator Mary Carillo remarked, "Dinara has her right where she wants her!" She won that one, too.

Today in Rome, in a match I rather enjoyed, Zheng Jie took the first set 7-5, then Safina was dominant in the second for 6-1, but the tables turned again in the third, and Zheng served for the match at 5-2. Naturally, Safina broke her and held. When Zheng served for the match at 5-4, Safina broke her again, and eventually went on to win a tiebreak.

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez is the next player to take the Thrill Ride. The two have played each other only once before--at the 2008 Olympics--and Safina won.

2 comments:

Rob said...

Diane,
Is "Thrill Ride" yours? I was going to ask you when I saw you use it before, but am just now getting to it.

Brilliant!

Rob

Diane said...

Yes, Rob, I started calling her Thrill Ride after last year's European clay tour. She continues to live up to the name, too.