Kuznetsova’s Open triumph stirs sibling rivalry

DINARA SAFINA must be ruing the day her brother talked fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova out of quitting tennis.

Kuznetsova was at such a low ebb during the spring of last year that she contemplated retirement, at the age of 22.

Marat Safin, a leading player on the men’s circuit, talked her around and just over a year on, she is the new French Open champion having beaten Safina – Marat’s younger sister – with surprising ease on Saturday in straight sets.