Lucie Safarova determined to build on French Open run to the final

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  • Safarova has enjoyed her best year to date.

    ROLAND GARROS — PARIS, FRANCE; Lucie Safarova and her coach Rob Steckley are looking to ride the momentum gained at the French Open to the fullest after the Czech recorded her best result at a grand slam, finishing runner-up to Serena Williams in Paris on Saturday.

    Safarova, 28, has been playing the tennis of her life over the past 12 months and managed to follow her semi-final run at Wimbledon last year with a first grand slam final appearance at Roland Garros.

    “I hope this is just the beginning,” the Czech lefty said with a smile after her three-set defeat to Williams.

    “I’m just enjoying it. People were really nice and I got so many nice messages and support. So I wish that will continue in the future tournaments and I will do my best to play the great tennis that I played here.”

    Safarova was down a set and two breaks before she launched a comeback in the second, pulling off a remarkable turnaround by breaking the Williams serve with the American serving for the Championship at 6-5. She went on to win her sixth tiebreak of the Championship to force a decider.

    But Safarova admits Williams proved unstoppable in the final set.

    “I’m proud that I fought back in the second set, because it was looking like it will be an easy match. Serena was really strong out there. I just pushed myself to step up the level,” said Safarova, who finished the second set with the crowd chanting her name.

    “I just couldn’t find any weapon that could stop her. I was trying to mix up the serve, trying to mix up the rhythm, trying to go for risk shots. But when she was on, she was just serving amazing and going for the returns, pressuring me right away. It’s just hard to do anything with that.

    “I just had goosebumps hearing those people cheering. That’s what it is about, in tennis, to have this atmosphere. 

    “I wouldn’t regret anything today. I was going for my shots, I was trying to mix it up, being aggressive and everything [but] she was just too good in the third set.”

    Safarova, who will enter the top 10 for the first time on Monday thanks to her run in Paris, could still leave the tournament with a trophy as she contests the doubles final on Sunday with partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

    “I hope I will at least get one title here, I will do my best. I will do the same rhythm as every day. I won’t celebrate too long, I will just have a nice family dinner and go to bed early and get ready for the finals tomorrow in doubles.”

    Steckley, Safarova’s Canadian coach who has been a big part of her recent surge in results, believes Williams’ experience proved decisive in the end.

    “I think the fight was there but experience kind of came into play on Serena’s part, she has been there before. It’s all new to Lucie right now,” Steckley told Sport360 after the match. 

    “She did everything she could. Serena has just shown yet again why she’s a true champion and the best.

    “It’s never easy going against somebody like that who gives you very little breathing room, such small opportunity there. It’s all new for Lucie, for myself, and we’ll run with it. It’s great to be here and hopefully not the last.”

    Safarova heads into the grass season having to defend semi-final points and Steckley is confident they can keep the ball rolling.

    “We want to ride the momentum as best we can. This kind of started last year at Wimbledon and we’ve been progressing and working harder and harder,” said Steckley.  

    “It motivates us with each great performance, especially at a major like this. It helps both her and I as a team to push even harder and gain more confidence. It just goes to show that the hard work that we do is paying off. We just run with it as best as possible. Like a surfer – I love surfing – I just ride that wave.”

    Despite ending on a losing note in singles, Safarova is able to view her two weeks in Paris in a positive light.

    “I’m just really satisfied with the way I fought and played here, and it’s something I will take for the future tournaments. The confidence and for me the ability, that I am able to be here, able to play the grand slam finals, and hopefully one day I will get the trophy,” she added.

    Next week, there will be two Czech’s in the WTA top 10 – Petra Kvitova and Safarova – for the first time since 1988 when Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova were both top-tenners.

    Novotna, the 1998 Wimbledon champion, watched the women’s final in Paris and believes Safarova will continue to rise in the sport.

    “For Lucie actually to come out and play so well in the singles, in the doubles, be in her first grand slam final is absolutely fantastic because for many years she has been living in the shadow of Petra Kvitova. She’s just a nice person, great player who has made enormous improvement and I’m happy to see her do well and I think she will continue to do well,” said Novotna. 

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