Dinara Safina beats Agnes Szavay on return from injury
World No.3 Dinara Safina hadn’t played on the Tour since January and the Australian Open, and her first match since returning from the back injury was a victory — the Russian defeated Hungary’s Agnes Szavay 7-6(5) 3-6 6-0 in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The win over the 33rd-ranked Szavay is a good sign, as only days ago Safina said that the lower back injury could cause her long-term problems and seriously harm her career.
The unseeded Szavay quickly got to a 4-1 lead in the first set, but Safina fought back to win it in over an hour. After losing the second set, the Russian was in full command in the third.
“I don’t know if I am more happy than tired or more tired than happy,” said Safina, who turned 24 two days ago. “It is always nice to come back with a win, regardless how.”
Safina, last year’s runner-up at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, will play Israel’s Shahar Peer in the quarterfinals. (source: Earth Times, photo: © Neal Trousdale)
