Rome - Placid Dinara Safina refused Monday to respond to an backhanded insult from Serena Williams, who still seems to doubt the new number one Russian's WTA credentials. "We all know who the real number one is," sniffed the American prior to making her start this week at the Rome International.
The docile Safina didn't rise to challenge the slur from Williams who has stood atop the ranking three times during 2002, 2008 and for a period after the Australian Open before losing it last month to Safina.
But the sister of Marat Safin said that time will tell.
"She can say this because she won like many more Grand Slams than me. But she's also older than me so she has more experience than me.
"So let's see when I'm gonna be at her age how many titles I'm gonna have, and then we can say."
Because Safina didn't lift the ranking outright - instead, earning the honour on a third opportunity as Williams exited heavily in the first round of a clay event in Spain - the venom seems to be in full flow from the American. But Safina has no inclination to join in a catfight as she struggles to get used to her new position.
"It's still tough to realize this, in just one year everything changed," said Safina, who lost the weekend Stuttgart final to compatriot Svetlana Kusnetsova. "I guess the results, I mean, it's not luck.
"Nobody gave it to me, I proved it. I played two Grand Slam finals (lost to Ana Ivanovic at the French Open 2008 and to Williams for the Australian title this year). And last year I won four titles.
"There was a stage where maybe I won like twenty matches I lost one match, so I think I belong to this, because (the ranking) doesn't come out of sky."
On court in sunshine, elder - and usually more restrained - Williams sister Venus, seeded fourth, reached the third round after a bye with a struggling 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 win over Czech Lucie Safarova.
Miami champion Victoria Azarenka, who crushed Serena in that final as the American won just four games, started her Rome campaign as Japan's Ayumi Morita retired after losing a 6-0 first set.
Seeds Caroline Wozniacki (ninth), Agnieszka Radwanska (tenth) and last year's losing finalist against Jelena Jankovic Alize Cornet (13th) all reached the second round.
