Dubai: While Czech Lucie Safarova wants to do one better than the career-best ranking of No 17, her biggest priority is to be in good health on the tough WTA Tour.
Each time Safarova has threatened to do well, she has been felled by various injuries. Last month, Safarova was forced out of the Paris Open with a shoulder injury and an elbow injury had laid her low at the end of a rather promising 2013.
She reached the quarter-finals in Sydney where she lost to Petra Kvitova and reached the third round before succumbing to eventual champion Li Na in three sets at the season-opening Grand Slam in Melbourne.
Last season was good for the member of the Czech Republic Fed Cup team, when she won a WTA title in Quebec City along with a semi-final at Nurnberg and five quarter-finals.
“Last year, I kept improving through the season and I had a very good ending in Asia. I am really happy with the way I have started this season. I had a great win against Caroline [Wozniacki] in Sydney and a very close match against Li Na at the Australian Open. I’m very happy about my game recently and I hope I can have some good matches here this week,” Safarova told Gulf News.
The Czech will open her tournament here against American Sloane Stephens either on Monday or Tuesday. “We’ve never played each other before, but it will be an interesting match,” she said.
“It would be great to improve my best ranking and that job starts now. Of course, there are other dream goals, along with other things like doing well at the Grand Slams and work towards a top-ten finish. But I would rather take it step by step,” she added.
“Injuries are part of our profession. They slow down progress. But at this stage I don’t want to speculate, but just stay healthy and play my game and enjoy the sport, and the ranking will automatically go up,” she added.
