Tennis

Safin calms down, wins Aussie Open

The uptight Russian dashes the natives' hopes by regrouping to beat Lleyton Hewitt in four sets.

By Times wire
Published January 31, 2005

MELBOURNE, Australia - Seeing somebody else unravel was different for Marat Safin. So was winning the Australian Open.

After losing two of the past three finals at Melbourne Park, Safin defeated Lleyton Hewitt 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday, deflating a crowd hungering for an Australian winner.

It is the Russian's second Grand Slam tournament title, his other coming in the 2000 U.S. Open, when he beat Pete Sampras in the final.

"It's psychological. You start to have doubts, like ... if I could do this or not," said Safin, who is known for his racket-busting outbursts. "It's the third time. You get so nervous, so uptight.

"I don't want to lose it. Nobody cares about the (losing) finalist. So it was just kind of a relief."

Safin, who avenged a loss in the 2004 final by defeating top-ranked Roger Federer in the semifinals, was called theworthiest of champions by Hewitt.

"You knocked off the guy who's nearly been impossible," Hewitt told Safin. "You thoroughly deserve it."

After the third-seeded Hewitt shanked a forehand on match point, Safin was subdued, making only one fist pump.

Hewitt told him, "Mate, too good."

Hewitt hoped to be the first Australian man to win the tournament since Mark Edmondson in 1976. And he seemed on his way in the first set, making only one unforced error.

He led 3-0 in the third set, and Safin, who lost to Thomas Johansson in the 2002 final, was on the edge, smashing his racket into the court three times in eight points.

But that seemed to clear his head while Hewitt lost his. Hewitt became enraged at a line judge who called him for a foot fault on a break point in the seventh game of the third set.

Hewitt saved the break point then screamed at the line judge, pointing his finger at his face twice. That earned Hewitt a code violation from the umpire.

"I'm human, and I'm disappointed. To come that close, train so hard to put yourself in a position, it's hard to take at the moment," Hewitt said.

"Making a U.S. Open final, a Masters Cup final and now an Australian Open final, I'm obviously doing something right. But it would have been nice to get one of them."

By winning tense five-set matches against Rafael Nadal in the fourth round and David Nalbandian in the quarterfinals, Hewitt captured the imagination of the country in the 100th year of the tournament.

"I'm sure in a couple of days, I'll look back and think that it's been a great achievement" to make the final, Hewitt said. "I'll have no regrets. I've put everything into this tournament."

He said the pressure did not get to him: "I've gone out there, done my thing. I think I can walk away with my head held high."

Safin rose to No.1 after winning the U.S. Open then plunged to 86th after injuries in 2003. His comeback started last year in Australia. He won three five-set matches, including over Andre Agassi in the semifinals, before losing to Federer in the final. He finished the year ranked No.4.

He said the Australian Open title is more important than the U.S. Open because it proves he could win again. In 2000, he didn't expect to win.

"It was against Sampras. Nobody really cared," he said. "Even though if I would make it, lose in three sets, they would say, "Great tournament, well done. You were great. You played great tennis. But he's Pete Sampras.' So basically, no pressure whatsoever."

"But now I am 25. I'm playing against Hewitt. You go there, and you lose the first set 6-1. Then ... you start to think, "I'm playing ridiculous.' You start to try and find a way out, and I found it. One Grand Slam you can win by mistake. Two Grand Slams is something. It's a relief."

The looming obstacle at this tournament was Federer, who won 11 titles in 2004, including three Grand Slams. But Safin removed that roadblock in the semifinals, saving a match point in the fourth set before ending Federer's 26-match win streak. He played it cool that night, his 25th birthday.

And he held it together - mostly - in the final before Hewitt lost his temper.

"He's an awesome player," Hewitt said. "Even when I was a set up, at no stage did I start thinking this is just going to carry along."

Safin, who had received a good-luck text message from the only other Russian to win a men's Grand Slam title (Yevgeny Kafelnikov at the 1996 French Open and 1999 at Melbourne Park) thanked everyone after his victory.

And that included the crowd, "even though 90 percent of you were for Hewitt."

[Last modified January 31, 2005, 00:38:15]