All-Russian women's final at French Open

PARIS, France, June 4: Close friends Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova set up an all-Russian final in the French Open on Thursday.

Safina was not at her best but she still saw off Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3, while Kuznetsova needed to dig deep to stop Australia´s Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3. [break]

It will be just the second all-Russian final at Roland Garros after the 2004 French Open when Anastasia Myskina defeated Elena Dementieva and it will be the 13th meeting between the two 23-year-olds with Safina ahead 7-5.

Safina, who lost in straight sets in last year´s final to Ana Ivanovic, is on a mission here to win her first Grand Slam title and silence those who say she is not worthy of being the world No.1 until she does so.

She went into Thursday´s semi-final laid low with a virus, but she still had too much firepower for Cibulkova who had reached a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time.

The Russian started poorly and was 0-2 before she found her range and won the next five games against an opponent who at 1.61 metres stood a full 21 centimetres smaller than her.

Safina wobbled again at the start of the second set with a rash of double faults, but she dug deep each time to get herself out of trouble and then grabbed the vital break of serve she needed in the fifth game.

"It wasn´t an easy match and I felt tight throughout," Safina said.

"I wasn´t doing anything at the start. She was making me run all about the court so I just told myself I have to start hitting my shots and go for the angles.

"I had a great experience here last year and I just need to do a little bit better. I am just going to go for it."

Kuznetsova, who lost the 2006 final here to Justine Henin, but who does have a Grand Slam title to her name at the 2004 US Open, looked set fair for a comfortable passage into the final after going up a set and a break.

But that was to underestimate Stosur, the surprise package of this year´s women´s tournament who broke back after a succession of deuces to level at 4-4.

The 25-year-old Australian forced the tie-break which she won from 1-4 down thanks to two magnificent forehand crosscourt winners.

Games went with serve until 2-2 in the decider, when Kuznetsova managed a crucial three-game winning streak that put her in the driving seat.

Two games later she served out for the win and the chance to pick up a second Grand Slam title.