Safina looking for brotherly love

PARIS (AFP) - Like any adoring young sister French Open finalist Dinara Safina would love to please big brother Marat when she takes on Ana Ivanovic on Saturday - if only he would show up.

The 22-year-old from the famous tennis family from Moscow will play in her first Grand Slam final when she takes on the Serb second seed and as the underdog she could to with all the support she can get.

However, Marat, six years her senior, is long gone from Roland Garros, having lost in the second round last week to compatriot Nikolay Davydenko

He is though just a short Eurostar train journey away in London, but Dinara does not know whether or not he will be on hand to witness the biggest match of her career to date.

"I don't know. Maybe he will come. He didn't tell me anything," she said.

"I guess maybe he will make a surprise and come because I really like it when he comes to see me. "But I think as when I see him play I get so nervous, so he will also be nervous he will not even be able to watch me play."

Safina has grown up in the shadow of her brother's successes and popularity around the world although she missed his breakthrough win in the US Open final in 2000 when he beat Pete Sampras in straight sets as she was only 14 at the time, and because of the time difference, had been packed off to bed.