Safin beats Hewitt for men's title at Australian Open

[geekerati]

Did any of you get a chance to watch this match, it was a dog fight for sure? The big Russian was just too powerful with his serves in the end. Great match for the fans to watch!


January 30, 2005

MELBOURNE, Australia - Marat Safin would not let his emotions get the best of him. Not this time.

In an emotional, back-and-forth battle that featured gamesmanship on both sides, Safin overcame a partisan crowd to capture his first Australian Open title Sunday with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Australian Lleyton Hewitt.

Exercising some of his demons that had kept him without a Grand Slam title for more than four years, the fourth-seeded Safin closed out the match when Hewitt mishit a second serve. Safin dominated after dropping the first set in just 23 minutes.


"You need to believe it is yours because I was really far away again today and I was getting depressed, but now it's here and it's really difficult to believe it," Safin said.

The third time was a charm for the unpredictable 25-year-old Russian, who lost in the final here in 2002 to Sweden's Thomas Johansson and to Switzerland's Roger Federer last year.

Safin, who claimed his second Grand Slam title, ended Federer's 26-match winning streak during a 4 1/2-hour epic in the semifinals. His other Grand Slam crown came at the 2000 U.S. Open.

After beating Pete Sampras in straight-sets to capture the 2000 U.S. Open, Safin was expected to win a number of Grand Slams, but it took him 14 tournaments to add another one. It was the longest drought in the open era between first and second Grand Slam titles.

"Normally, you are never so nervous but when it comes to the final, you are so close to winning the tournament," Safin said. "In the second set, I got together and found a little bit of a game and then it was a little easier."

It was a bitter defeat for Hewitt, who had an entire country behind him as he was trying to become the first native son to win the Australian Open since Mark Edmondson in 1976.

In 1997, Hewitt became the youngest player to qualify for the Australian Open when he was one month shy of his 16th birthday. But he never made it past the fourth round in his previous eight appearances.

Hewitt jumped over American Andy Roddick, whom he defeated in the semifinals, into the No. 2 spot in the world rankings. Federer will remain No. 1.

Hower, Hewitt lost his second straight Grand Slam final, also falling to Federer at the U.S. Open.

"I'm sure in a couple days I'll look back and think that it's been a great achievement," he said. "I'll have no regrets and I've put everything into this tournament. But right now at the moment, 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."

The players' emotions took center stage in the third set, when Hewitt got the crowd going with his trademark shouts of "Come on" after unforced errors by Safin.

The antics clearly bothered Safin, who seemed in trouble after falling behind in the set, 3-0. But following an injury delay in which he received treatment for tightness in his thighs, Safin calmed himself and began imposing his will with his powerful groundstrokes.

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