Safina buckles under weight of own expectations

NEW YORK, Sep 6 (Reuters) :Dinara Safina had a tennis meltdown enraged by a snub over her court assignment, unable to explain her lacklustre loss to a little-known opponent and desperate for some time off.

It was a case of third time unlucky for the top-seeded world number one after the Russian fell 6-4 2-6 7-6 to Czech teenager Petra Kvitova in a third-round match, finally losing a three-set contest after already surviving two close encounters.

Safina's saga started with late notification that her match was being bumped from Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the day's schedule had overrun by nearly three hours, to the smaller, 10,000-seat Louis Armstrong Court.

"I'm number one player in the world, why did they move me?" asked Safina yesterday."This is not excuse but I don't think it's a fair decision they made." Safina's status has been a sore point all through the run-up to the tournament, where her top-ranking credentials were questioned given she has yet to win a grand slam title.

Her first two mistake-ridden, three-set wins at Flushing Meadows set the stage for an exit she found hard to explain.

"She likes to be dominant.

She doesn't like to move around.

I have to move her.

I had to get her out of the court.

I have everything.

I know what to do," she told reporters.

"But I step on the court and I play completely different." Instead of making Kvitova move, Safina played passively, returning many balls down the middle of the court.

The fire in her serves was missing, too.

Asked why she abandoned her plan, the 23-year-old Safina blamed stress."Tension, I would say.

"Let's say, first set I was too tense.

Second set, I let it go.

At least there were some emotions.

"And third set, three match points and I didn't do anything on them.

Very disappointing." Safina said it was her own fault.

"From my brain, from my side.

Just from my side." The Russian, who has won three tournaments after advancing to eight finals this season, sounded burned out and almost relieved to be gone from the championship.

"I guess that there is a little bit of everything.

Also just playing, playing, playing, playing, playing, and not...

at least sometimes just to work on something.

"I don't have time for myself to relax and to calm down.

"I'm really looking forward to have the off season, because at least I know I'm gonna be in one place.

First I'll have a rest and then I'll have five weeks that I can stay in one place." Safina said she has been putting too much pressure on herself."I go to the court with so much that I want to win, and I put so much tension in it." She scoffed at the idea she would be better off to be unburdened by the weight of the number one ranking.

"How can you feel relief if you lose the spot, number one in the world, your dream.

"Everything is in the head, because here everything knows how to do the right thing," she said, pointing her index finger at her temple."It knows and it stops me."