Boris heading to Paris for all-Russian final

Russia's French Open finalists Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva will have company on centre-court in the burly shape of former president Boris Yeltsin.

Russia's French Open finalists Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva will have company on centre-court on Saturday in the burly shape of former president Boris Yeltsin.

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"He called us last night and said that he would be coming to Paris to watch us play," said Dementieva. "So all you journalists had better watch out."

Yeltsin, who retired on account of ill health on New Year's Eve 2000, has always been an avid sports fan and during his time in office he was never shy about turning up on the big occasions to underline his "man of the people" image.

His last visit to a sports event in Paris was to watch Russia come from behind against France to win the 2002 Davis Cup final 3-2 in the Bercy Indoors Stadium.

On that occasion, despite his history of heart attacks Yeltsin, an ardent tennis fan and former player jumped up down and and pumped his fist in the air on par with younger spectators.

Saturday's match will produce a first Russian winner as this is the first time in Grand Slam tennis history that two Russians have met in a final.