Paris - Dinara Safina reached her second consecutive final at the French Open Thursday as the world number one reinforced her new top status with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Dominika Cibulkova.

Safina, who was assured of keeping the elite ranking she assumed in April when Serena Williams crashed out in the quarter-finals, will try to come good for the first Grand Slam trophy of her career.

The younger sister of Marat Safin lost the Roland Garros final a year ago to Serb Ana Ivanovic, who has in the interim won only a small event last autumn in Austria and now stands eighth on the WTA.

Safina has been the form player on clay this spring, winning 20 of her last 21 matches since assuming the top ranking on April 20.

She has reached the finals at six of nine tournaments this year, winning two singles titles. Sine May, 3008, Safina has won six titles.

The top seed took the first set in 49 minutes against the number 19 Cibulkova, who has lost both of the pair's WTA meetings but beat Safina at the Hopman Cup in Perth to start the season.

With the match somewhat under control, Safina was able to calm her trademark nerves and doubts to make a break for it in the second set, 3-2.

Cibulkova forced the seed to save three break points in the sixth game before Safina held for 4-2. The Russian earned the victory into a final against either compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova or Australian Samantha Stosur on her second match point after one hour, 41 minutes. (dpa)