In 1988, Steffi Graf won everything worth winning on a tennis court. Her Golden Slam is something which will perhaps never be topped.

The following year she made the finals of all four Grand Slams again, losing only at the French to a then unheralded 19-year-old, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.

Eight years later, the new No.1, Martina Hingis, repeated her predecessor's 1989 feat. She lost to Iva Majoli in the finals of the French and beat Venus Williams at Flushing Meadows. Incidentally all three were in their teens at the time.

In the 10 tennis seasons that have followed, no woman, not even the Swiss Miss, has managed to come back from the disappointment of being beaten in the Roland Garros final in the same year.

It is not that the successive Roland Garros runners-up have missed the opportunity. Many of them, in fact, having survived the dirt of Paris only to finish second best, have found themselves in the US Open finals the same year.

And that list comprises some of the greats of recent WTA history - Martina Hingis (1999), Venus Williams (2002), Kim Clijsters (2003), Elena Dementieva (2004) and Mary Pierce (2005). Yes, impressive!

Each of these women is a bona fide champion. Barring the Russian, each has won at least a Grand Slam in her career.

So what does it all mean for Dinara Safina? After finally coming of age at Paris this year she is now favorite to win the women's crown at the US Open this week. But will she be able to beat the history that seems to be against her?

She is already complaining of fatigue and is finding it tough to compete at such a demanding level. But if she knocks off one of the ever capable Williams sisters, either Serena or Venus, to make the final on Saturday, will she find the stamina to beat not just fatigue but a decade-old jinx?

I would like to see her take a shot at it.