Fri Jun 6 10:59:01 2008

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Ivanovic, Safina set for Saturday's final in Paris

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Paris, France (Sports Network) - The women's French Open champion will be decided here on Saturday, when second-seeded and 2007 runner-up Ana Ivanovic tangles with red-hot 13th-seeded Russian Dinara Safina.

Ivanovic and Safina will meet for a fourth time, with the Serb holding a 2-1 all-time advantage. The Russian is 1-0 in their lone previous matchup on clay, in Berlin three years ago, while Ivanovic topped Safina at Wimbledon in 2006 in their lone previous Grand Slam clash.

The talented Ivanovic topped fellow Serb Jelena Jankovic in three sets in Thursday's semifinals to become the new world No. 1, supplanting Maria Sharapova, who had a short-lived stay at the top after replacing recently-retired Justine Henin there. Safina, meanwhile, upended fellow Russian and fourth-seeded 2006 French Open runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets to secure a berth in her first-ever major final.

Ivanovic is the first-ever Serb, male or female, to ascend to the top of the rankings.

The 20-year-old Ivanovic lost to Henin in last year's French Open final and succumbed to Sharapova in this year's Australian Open title match.

Ivanovic, who has reached the final in three of the last five Grand Slam events, will appear in her 10th career final overall, seeking a seventh title. She's 1-1 in her 2008 finals, but 0-2 in her career Grand Slam finales.

The surging Safina is riding a 12-match winning streak, which includes victories over reigning No. 1s, at the time, Sharapova and Henin and former top-ranked star Serena Williams. The Russian titled in Berlin last month, beating Henin, Williams and two-time Grand Slam runner-up Elena Dementieva en route to the surprising title. Safina also beat her fellow Russian Dementieva in a quarterfinal bout here on Wednesday, a day in which Safina saved a match point before advancing. She also staved off a match point before stunning the Australian Open champion Sharapova here on Monday.

The 22-year-old Safina, who will try to become the first woman to win a major title after saving a match point in two matches, is the younger sister of two- time Grand Slam titlist and former world No. 1 men's star Marat Safin.

The 5-foot-11 Safina will appear in her 11th career WTA Tour-level final (6-4) and is 1-0 in her lone 2008 finale, in Berlin. She captured an event here in Paris in 2005 -- the Paris Indoors.

Saturday's winner will become a first-time Grand Slam champion and collect just over $1.55 million.