Dinara Safina has lived her life in the huge shadow of big brother Marat Safin but just two more wins at Roland Garros will at last shift the spotlight onto her, just as he is winding down. Like Marat, she knows what it’s like to be No 1 in the world.

Unlike her charismatic brother, she hasn’t yet won a Grand Slam title, coming up heartbreakingly short at Roland Garros in 2008 and then being outplayed by Serena Williams at the 2009 Australian Open.

She may never get a better opportunity than this week. The world No 1, and top seed, tackles Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova, the 20th seed, in Thursday’s semi-final where she will be the overwhelming favourite.

The 23-year-old is the form player on clay in 2009 with her victory over Belarusian ninth seed Victoria Azarenka on Tuesday having taken her record on the surface this year to 19 wins in 20 matches.

That run has included titles in Rome and Madrid. But Safina knows that until she breaks her Grand Slam duck, question marks will remain over her standing in the rankings. “If I don’t fight in a Grand Slam, being No 1 in the world, then obviously I’m not deserving of this spot,” she said.

Safina insists that she has thrived by learning to control her emotions on court, a skill usually alien to her brother.

“We’re actually quite different people. It was his weaker part, his emotions. It was also for me. It’s good that I managed to change it. I knew this was my weakness and I dealt with it. That’s why I think I did such a big jump.”

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