Safin Takes It Off the Top

By Lisa Dillman

Jan. 28, 2005 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

MELBOURNE, Australia —

His feet went out from under him, and seconds later, so did his hopes for a rare calendar-year Grand Slam.

You knew it would take a knockdown of Roger Federer to knock him out of a major tournament.

After all, Marat Safin of Russia needed a little help from somewhere after nearly 4 1/2 hours and six squandered match points in a wild, sprawling Australian Open semifinal against the world’s top-ranked player. The old Safin might have imploded at Melbourne Park after half a dozen missed opportunities.

But this time, he held his nerve under increasingly stressful circumstances, putting the ball into an open court after Federer slipped and fell running for a wide forehand. That’s what it took to finally puncture the top-seeded Federer’s recent invincibility, as No. 4 Safin defeated the defending champion, 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 9-7, Thursday in 4 hours 28 minutes.

Incredibly, through five sets, Safin hit only one double fault, along with 16 aces.

A drained Safin seemed out of answers during his post-match, on-court interview with Jim Courier. Courier, who won twice here, sized up the moment, saying: “Do you need a hug or what?” And so, the former champion hugged the champion-in-waiting. Safin has lost two finals here, including last year to Federer, and his third attempt at the title will come against either Lleyton Hewitt of Australia or Andy Roddick.

Safin’s semifinal win was a belated birthday present by about half an hour; he turned 25 Thursday, and the match ended at 12:25 a.m. today.

The sellout crowd at Rod Laver Arena sang “Happy Birthday” after the match, and Safin bowed and clapped.

“If Lleyton wins, it’s like a present [from] me to you,” he told them. “If I win, I’m sure I think the match today was worth it.”

And then some.

Federer had been on a 26-match winning streak -- the longest of his career -- and had recorded 24 consecutive victories against players ranked in the top 10, going back to 2003. The 23-year-old Swiss suffered his first loss at a Grand Slam event since going out in the third round against Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil at the French Open last year.

His last loss, at any event, was at the Athens Olympics last year, in the second round to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Federer, having won three of the four majors last year, arrived in Melbourne to talk of a possible calendar Slam in his immediate future and a new coach in his entourage, the legendary Tony Roche.

In another twist, the coach working with Safin and sitting in his friends box was none other than Peter Lundgren, who once assisted Federer.

Dynasty, interrupted?

The pause in the Federer Era did not come easily. Safin saved a match point in the fourth-set tiebreaker, taking a desperate stab at Federer’s drop volley and somehow floating the ball over Federer’s head. Federer wheeled back to the baseline and tried to flick it past Safin with a shot between the legs, but it found the net.

“At the moment of the match, you don’t think. It just came,” Safin said of the shot.

Said Federer: “Losing by having match point, it’s always going to hurt, no matter how great the match was. But at least you can leave the place feeling good about yourself because I thought I gave it all I had, and that’s all I got....

“So the winner is the better man, and that’s him. Of course, I’m hoping for a rematch so I can beat him again. But it was a thrill actually to be a part of it, that’s very clear.”

Federer was unusually agitated long before the fifth set, growing edgier with each passing minute and each passing game.

There was verbal self-flagellation. Then there was a toss of the offending weapon, as his racket went flying in the third set. That’s the kind of behavior expected from Safin, who did not disappoint, either.

After one 19-stroke rally, Federer planted himself in the linesperson’s chair behind the baseline. He wasn’t doing well physically. Federer said a blister on his foot bothered him from the second set on, and he needed treatment for a sore arm before the fifth set.

For Safin, it almost always comes down to the head game. Especially after the tension heightened when Federer saved two match points in the ninth game of the fifth set on Safin’s serve, another in the next game on his own serve with a backhand volley and two more at 6-7, again on his own serve.

“It’s like a brain fight against Roger Federer,” Safin said.

Federer saved the sixth match point with an ace, his 22nd, before Safin won it on No. 7 when Federer fell. Again, it was difficult for him to sum up what it meant to beat the No. 1 player in the world on his birthday. But he gave it a nice effort.

“How can I describe? Great. Great. I just cannot find any other words to describe it,” Safin said. “But I’m still here on the courts, talking to you guys, and it’s already almost 1 in the morning, so basically maybe I’ll have a chance to get to my room and have a glass of champagne.”

Australian Open

MEN’S FINAL

No. 4 Marat Safin (Russia) vs. winner of match between No. 2 Andy Roddick and No. 3 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia).

* Head to head: Roddick leads Safin, 3-2; Safin and Hewitt have split their 10 matches.

ON TV

* Today’s men’s semifinal: Roddick vs. Hewitt (Australia), 11 a.m., ESPN2 (delayed).

* Sunday men’s final: 9 a.m. ESPN2 (delayed). Note: ESPN2 has announced that it may also televise the men’s final live Sunday at 12:30 a.m.

HOW SAFIN GOT TO FINAL

* First round -- def. Novak Djokovic, 6-0, 6-2, 6-1.

* Second round -- def. Bohdan Ulihrach, 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

* Third round -- def. Mario Ancic (28), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

* Fourth round -- def. Olivier Rochus, 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2).