I am struggling to decide whether I should root for Dinara Safina in Wimbledon or not.
(Photo courtesy of dinarasafina.com)
Ever since Justin Henin retired, there isn't any player in the women's tour that I really consistently cheer for. I am now "shopping" for a player to replace Henin in my book, and I am wondering if Safina can fill Henin's shoes. I never really liked Safina. Her outbursts of dismay and anger on court certainly do not take favor on me. She is so like her brother, Marat Safin, who vents his anger on his rackets. Marat said that he probably whacked more than 300 tennis rackets throughout his career. I am very sure he got fined a lot too for unsportsmanlike behavior. So really, the Safin siblings are not easy players to like. Their emotional outbursts on court are a turn-off.
Safina claims that she has put a lid on her fits of rage and she credits this for her rise to the World #1 spot. To be fair to her, she is trying. I caught her quarterfinal match against Sabine Lisicki and I saw that she was trying to contain herself. There were still some small outbursts of frustration on court, but after a while she was able to regain her focus and went on to win the match.
But I feel sorry for Safina because I could just imagine the amount of pressure on her back. After 3 unsuccessful finals (French Open 2008 and 2009, and Australian Open in 2009), she is becoming the winningest player on tour without a grand slam. It is like her number one ranking doesn't amount to anything at all. I've read and heard far too many comments that she doesn't deserve to be in the #1 spot if she cannot win the important matches. She is saddled with a big burden of proof: to convince everyone that she deserves her top ranking and that she is a champion in her own right.
It is because of that pressure that I have decided that I want Safina to win. I know what it feels like to be constantly trying to prove yourself to others. It is as if you cannot be appreciated for who you are until after their standards are met. Maybe when Safina gets her first grand slam, the pressure will finally ease and she can be more relaxed and just enjoy her game.
So yes, I want Safina to win Wimbledon. It's not because I really like her. Mostly, I think I just pity her. And God knows what kind of expletives she may let out if she fails a fourth attempt in a grand slam. If she can be angry while winning, I don't want to see her losing. Again.
Go Dinara!
