Ana Ivanovic will have to deal with the added pressure of being the favourite if she is to lift her first Grand Slam title in the French Open final against Russian survivor Dinara Safina on Saturday.
The second seed, last year's runner-up, is assured of the world number one ranking whatever happens against the 13th-seeded Safina, who knocked out previous incumbent Maria Sharapova in the fourth round at Roland Garros.
For the first time in three Grand Slam final appearances, Ivanovic will be expected to win.
"The other day someone asked me, 'Are you going to forget the (last year's) final and play a different one? No, because it was a great learning experience," said Ivanovic, who lost 6-1, 6-2 to the now retired Justine Henin in the 2007 final.
"I learned a lot from Justine and the emotions I was feeling going on the court. So I really hope I can work hard on it and play different this year.
"Obviously I feel like a different player coming into this French Open. A lot of experience I gain from that final and the final in Australia, so I really hope I can step up this time and make one more step."
She suffered heavy defeats to Henin and to Sharapova in the Australian Open final in January, but against the world number 14, she is the undoubted favourite.
However, Safina is a tough nut to crack, as Sharapova, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova can vouch.
ROLLING OVER
Marat Safin's younger sister, who admits she still cries when she watches her brother's 2005 Australian Open semi-final victory over Roger Federer, twice came back from match point down to advance.
Against Sharapova and Dementieva, she was a set and 5-2 down before staving off a match point on her serve, rallying back and rolling over her compatriots.
Kuznetsova, who had been tipped by Henin as a potential winner in Paris this year, was helpless in the semi-final, losing 6-3, 6-2.
Safina, nicknamed 'Marata' because of her tendency to lose her temper like her brother, is ready to give her all to clinch her first slam title.
"If I have to die, I will have to die on the court, because there is no more point in saving energy for nothing, so I have to give all my energy," she said.
Safina was quick to put the pressure on her opponent.
Asked ahead of Thursday's semi-final between Ivanovic and third seed Jelena Jankovic if there was a chance she would feel tense, she said: "Pressure, no. I mean, they're the ones who are better ranked and better players, so all the pressure has to be on them. They have to prove."
Safina, who won the German Open last month, is 2-1 down in her meetings with Ivanovic but her only win came on the Berlin clay three years ago.
And Safina has the game it takes to bother Ivanovic on the red dirt.
Her top-spin is probably one of the best weapons against the flat-hitting Ivanovic, who recorded 43 winners but also 45 unforced errors in her 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 defeat of compatriot Jankovic.
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