Mt. Marat Lets Off a Little Steam in Victory

It’s almost expected, virtually required, for Marat Safin to emote, and eventually erupt, at a Grand Slam tournament.

To that end, the fourth-seeded Safin did not disappoint today at the Australian Open. During the Russian’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Mario Ancic of Croatia, an angry Safin gave himself a good whack in the head with his hand.

Don’t try that at home, tennis fans. A concussion could follow.

But by Safin’s lofty standards, he was almost mild out on court at Rod Laver Arena. In fact, one journalist suggested that he smash a ceremonial racket after the third-round match, just to make the spectators happy.

“OK, I will,” Safin said, drawing laughter. “It will come soon. If you’re asking me for it, I will do it.

“But I’m saving myself. I’m trying to save myself as long as I can, try to keep myself calm on the court also because against these kind of players, like Ancic, you go crazy and you might never come back. He knows how to play, and he’s a tough opponent. He will feel straightaway I’m not there, so he will take his opportunity and he can win this match.

“So basically I’m trying and I’m saving my energy, my power, try to stay calm and think properly what I have to do to beat him.”

The match following Safin-Ancic was a short one. Defending champion Roger Federer of Switzerland won the first set, 6-3, and led, 5-2, in the second when Jarkko Nieminen of Finland retired because of an abdominal injury.

Fans had plenty of entertainment from the unpredictable Safin and Ancic. But, strangely enough, the hothead of the day was not Safin, a two-time finalist here, but a surprise entry -- Thomas Johansson of Sweden, who was fuming and fretting and yelling and whacking his racket in a five-set drama against Kevin Kim of Newport Beach.

Kim’s stirring run here ended in the third round when Johansson, seeded 30th, defeated him, 3-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-2, in 3 hours 13 minutes. Kim had 14 aces, 44 winners and 67 unforced errors.

The 26-year-old had never won a Grand Slam match before this week, or played a five-set match. He won two rounds here and played two five-setters. It was a learning experience, trying to pace himself through the roller coaster of a five-setter.

“I was getting a little tired and my legs were cramping,” Kim said. “ I thought he would slow down also. But the guy never slowed down and he started to serve a higher percentage. I wasn’t able to work the points as much and it cost me.”

Johansson is a former champion here. When he beat Safin in the final three years ago, he barely cracked a smile. But today in front of an excited crowd at Margaret Court Arena, filled with a large group of Swedish supporters, he was feisty, questioning calls and getting angry when he repeatedly misfired.

Shortly after winning, he went to the sideline, signed some autographs and did an impromptu dance, jumping up and down.

For Kim, the big-match experience was enthralling, taking him back to his days at UCLA.

“It was a nice atmosphere,” he said. “The last time I played in that kind of atmosphere was in college.”

Kim’s five-setter was quick compared to the marathon between No. 10 Gaston Gaudio of Argentina and No. 20 Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia. Hrbaty won, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (8), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3, in 4 hours 21 minutes. He had 70 winners and 88 unforced errors.

There was one mild upset in women’s third-round action. Evgenia Linetskaya of Russia beat No. 21 Amy Frazier, 6-3, 6-4. Also advancing were No. 2 Amelie Mauresmo of France, who defeated Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, 6-2, 7-5, and No. 15 Silvia Farina Elia of Italy, who beat Elena Baltacha of Britain, 6-1, 6-0.