NEW YORK -- To Dinara Safina, she could match her brother Marat Safin by winning the U.S. Open and it still wouldn't make a difference.
"I think, forever, I'm going to be his little sister," Safina said on Tuesday.
Thanks to improved fitness, Safina, six years younger than Safin at 22, came into the U.S. Open in the hottest form of all the women, having reached the final at six of her last seven tournaments including the French Open, her first major final, and the Olympics. She lost both of those but won three others.
On Tuesday, she defeated 16-year-old American qualifier Kristie Ahn 6-3, 6-4 in the U.S. Open first round and was surprised only in that she didn't feel nervous beforehand, as she normally does before a Grand Slam. She prefers to feel the flutters.
With sixth-seeded Safina one of the favorites for the title, including a shot at the No. 1 ranking also previously reached by Safin, he has said he's no longer the best player in their family, that he looks up to her, and doesn't feel like the big brother anymore.
But she didn't believe it.
"I'm still his younger sister. (What I achieve) doesn't matter. Because still I walk (around) and hear the crowds saying, 'Oh, this is the sister of Marat."'
She said she's never been jealous of his success, and nothing has changed in their family dynamic now that she's cast herself out of his shadow and become an eight-time tournament champion, and counting. She doesn't think of giving him advice because he wouldn't listen to it, but she said she still had a lot to learn from him.
"If she does everything the opposite of what I've been doing, she will be No. 1 for a long time," he quipped.
Seriously, he added, "She's totally ready to win her first Grand Slam. I'm really proud of the way she's handling the pressure."
Safin, the unseeded 2000 Open champ, played his opener just over an hour after she finished. She wasn't going to watch him, she gets too wound up, she said. Just as well. He overcame a foot fault that cost him the fourth set to beat American Vince Spadea 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Safin hasn't won a title since his second Grand Slam victory at the 2005 Australian Open, but his ability to threaten was evident in the surprise run to the Wimbledon semifinals.
So, what if Safina was to win the U.S. Open?
"This would be the most amazing thing that can happen," said the little sister.
