French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Date: 23 May-6 June
Coverage: Live video streamed from 1000 BST on BBC Sport website (UK only) and BBC red button; commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra; also live on Eurosport; text commentary on BBC Sport website Details of BBC coverage

An out-of-sorts Dinara Safina struggled at Roland Garros on Tuesday

By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Roland Garros

Sitting directly in the line of fire as Dinara Safina's serve disintegrated on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Tuesday was an uncomfortable experience.

Self-preservation was the primary instinct, as a number of her 17 double-faults flew so far long they threatened the safety of the media seats (although that's not something the Russian would have been overly concerned about).

But to witness at close quarters the mental collapse of a woman who this time last year arrived at Roland Garros as the world number one and tournament favourite, as she suffered a 3-6 6-4 7-5 defeat to Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm, was no fun.

I started to look at her instead of thinking what I was doing - I lost the momentum Dinara Safina

Once famed for being unable to win the big one, a Grand Slam final, she currently has trouble simply winning.

The 24-year-old has always been admirably up-front about the issue of 'choking' under pressure and is quite prepared to utter the word that most tennis players run a mile from.

Safina could easily have used the back problem that she recently said is career-threatening to explain away the rash of double-faults and wayward forehands as she let a double-break lead slip in the final set.

606: DEBATE It must be tough handling injuries like this when you can't rely on mental strength to get you through it. Hope she gets better soon fedjon13

But asked afterwards whether her back was to blame, she would only concede: "In part, yes, because I couldn't work on my serve until I came here.

"At first I was serving pretty good but then I got tight, I lost the motion and I started to make more double-faults.

"Of course you want to win but I saw her cramping and I started to look at her instead of thinking what I was doing - I lost the momentum.

"At 4-1, I at least started to play a little bit better, but then I just got ridiculously tight. It's because I didn't play much."

It is far from the first time Safina has got "tight".

After teaming up with Croatian coach Željko Krajan in 2007 she made a steady rise through the rankings, eventually making number one on 20 April, 2009, but she needed a Grand Slam title to confirm her position and it would not come.

In the French Open finals of 2008 and 2009 she froze, losing in straight sets to Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kunetsova respectively, while in the 2009 Australian Open final she was so heavily outgunned by Serena Williams that the Melbourne crowd could only feel pity for the Russian.

Last year's Wimbledon semi-final marked a real low when, still ranked number one, she could win only one game against Venus Williams.

For sure, I won't give up; I'll have to swallow this loss and keep on moving, there is nothing more than this Dinara Safina

Since then, back problems have curtailed her activity to the extent that she has played just 14 matches since last year's US Open, and a recent change of coach, bringing in Argentine Gaston Etlis, points to other problems off the court.

"After Madrid I took a decision to stop (with Krajan)," she said. "Definitely he did the best job that anybody could do with me. He brought me to number one in the world - I mean, together we came to number one in the world - and I decided I wanted to stop.

"And that's it. I don't want to comment any more."

Safina looked to the new team in her player's box repeatedly during her meltdown on Lenglen, much as she used to do when Krajan was sitting there, often unable to hide his frustration at her regular implosions.

But the two were clearly very close and the demands she puts on his replacement are simple.

"If he is a doubles player, a swimmer, a ballet dancer ... it doesn't matter. On the female tour there are many who didn't even touch the racquet, and they are coaches. The person just has to understand the game."

It does not exactly feel like the right time to ask the question, after she has just lost to a cramping 39-year-old in the first round of a Grand Slam, but is she optimistic for her long-term future in the game?

"Er, yeah. For sure, I won't give up. I'll have to swallow this loss and keep on moving, there is nothing more than this.

"I was in worse situations. That's life, after rain always comes sun. I'll do my best. I'm not thinking about getting back to number one. First I would like to start to play my game and then the ranking will take care of itself."

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