Melbourne, Jan 30: With nine Grand Slams already in
the trophy cabinet, US veteran Serena Williams says all the
pressure will be on Russia`s Dinara Safina when the pair clash
in the Australian Open final tomorrow.
The American is the bookies` red-hot favourite to win her
fourth Australian title in the Rod Laver Arena, while Safina
acknowledges she is the underdog in her search for a first
Grand Slam crown.
Adding spice to the match, the winner will replace Serb
Jelena Jankovic as the number one ranked player in the world.
Williams said she was keen to "leave her mark" and enter
the elite group of players with 10 or more majors but felt
relaxed going into the 13th Grand Slam decider of her career.
The 27-year-old has struggled with poor form in the
tournament but still did enough to reach the final, becoming
the biggest prize winner in the history of women`s sport on the
way.
"I feel like I have nothing to lose. If I win, that would
be great. If I lose, I`ll just leave with the confidence that
I can get far in a tournament when I`m not playing my best and
go home and work even harder for the next time," the reigning
US Open champion said.
Williams, who came into the tournament as second seed,
said she was desperate to win a fourth title in Melbourne,
where she has triumphed in every final she has contested.
The American has a 5-1 winning record over Safina, seeded
third here, whose only previous appearance in a Grand Slam
final was a straight sets loss to Ana Ivanovic in last year`s
French Open.
But Williams was wary of Safina, who she said had
transformed into an intense, tenacious and incredibly fit
player whose loss at Roland Garros would spur her on in
Saturday`s final.
Bureau Report
