Dinara Safina: Struggling with Her Fitness
In the WTA World Rankings, Dinara Safina began 2010 with a ranking of number 2. Unfortunately due to some physical struggles Safina has not been able to maintain her position as the 2nd best player in the world.
Reaching the quarterfinals at the WTA Medibank International, Safina played well in her first tournament. Unfortunately, at the WTA Medibank International, when she reached the quarterfinals she met Elena Dementieva, who would go on to win the Singles Title. This doesn’t represent a poor start for Safina, but her troubles began to develop as she played in the Australian Open.
Winning her three matches in straight sets, she breezed through the first three rounds of the Australian Open. She played against Maria Kirilenko In the 4th round. Kirilenko was up 4-5 when Safina was forced to withdraw from the match due to problems with her back.
These problems with her back have still not ceased. She has sat out three other events, since withdrawing from the Australian Open. When you are not healthy enough to play, it is difficult to maintain the spot of 2nd in the world.
To get back to full health will be the first order of business for Safina. When healthy, she has already demonstrated that she can be one of the top players in the game. There will be questions of confidence when she returns. After not playing for several events, it is difficult to know if a player can have the same mental toughness. An injury can cause you to change your mechanics or second guess your abilities.
