Dinara Safina Arrives In Beijing

　　World No. 1 Dinara Safina arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport Monday night and was greeted by a flock of reporters and photographers. She is one of the first players in the main draw to arrive at the China Open tennis tournament.

　　As she walked through the arrival gates at Terminal 3 Section B, Safina was smiling. She was escorted by officials from the tournament, but she declined help with her luggage and pushed her own cart full of bags and tennis gear.

　　After a first-round loss at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Safina comes into the 2009 China Open looking to regain her dominant status before the season-ending championships in Doha, Qatar, in late October.

　　Safina has won three Sony Ericsson WTA Tour events this year, claiming the titles at Rome and Madrid in May and Portoroz, Slovenia in July. In April, she became just the second Russian woman ever to reach No. 1 in the world, with Maria Sharapova being the only other.

　　Safina holds a 54-13 record this year, but has yet to claim a Grand Slam title. Her best results in a slam were at the Australian Open, where she finished as the runner-up, losing to Serena Williams in the final, and the French Open, where she lost to countrywoman Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final.

　　The 2009 China Open will be special for Safina, as her brother, former world No. 1 Marat Safin, will have a farewell party thrown for him. Safin was given a wild card and is expected to retire upon the tournament’s completion.