Talking to Yourself: It Helps

The N.Y. Times has an extensive analysis of Safina’s rough opening match, including this bit about she helped control her temper:

For Safina, the tempestuous sister of the even more volatile Marat Safin, it was clear as she yelled to herself in Russian and English that she was battling two opponents — herself and Rogowska.Finally, on the changeover at 5-4 in the third set, Safina said, she talked some sense into herself.

“Please, just try to see the ball when you serve,” Safina said in a postmatch interview on the court. “That’s why I didn’t make one double fault.”