Daniela Hantuchova faces Dinara Safina in the pick of the US Open first round women's matches.

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Safina, a former US Open semi-finalist, was the world number one twelve months ago and facing a barrage of criticism because she was yet to win a Grand Slam. However what she didn't realise was that in Cincinnati, a few weeks previously, she had torn a back muscle which would ultimately develop into a stress fracture. Playing through painkillers, she scraped her way to the third round but it began a slide which now sees her ranked 59.

Safina has shown encouraging signs over the past month, she beat world number 21 Nadia Petrova  in Montreal and then French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in New Haven last week. Reaching the second week here will be a fine achievement but it is within reach.

Hantuchova is the 24th seed here and will pose a serious test. The Slovak has been victim of some tough draws this summer but hard courts are her best surface and she reached the last 16 at Flushing Meadows in 2009.

Enticingly, the two met last week in New Haven and it was desperately close, Safina only just pulling through 7-6, 7-6. She leads the head-to-head 6-3 and has won their past four matches.   

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