MELBOURNE - A rampant Roger Federer brought Marat Safin to his knees on Sunday, beating the shattered Russian Goliath 7-6 6-4 6-2 to win his first Australian Open crown.
Capping a week in which he became world number one for the first time, the Wimbledon champion racked up a second
grand slam title with a sparkling performance at Melbourne Park.
"What a great start to the year for me, winning the Open and becoming number one in the world," the Swiss smiled after collecting his check for $912,000.
"I played great from the first match on.
"That Wimbledon victory for me was such a dream, such a relief, now I know that I can do it. Now this ... it is amazing."
Nerves had got the better of Safin the last time he reached the final here, a 2002 loser to underdog Thomas Johansson.
On Sunday, the Russian simply had nothing left in the tank.
"I ran out of gas," he smiled.
"I was too tired to keep up with him. I needed just a little bit more ... just a bit more energy to stay with him.
"But you know, it's not like I played against a yo-yo, a guy who doesn't know how to play tennis. You know what I mean?
"Let's give him some credit. He is a big player. He's number one in the world, sorry to tell you," he grinned.
Safin sympathised with disappointed fans who had wanted a closer contest. "Look, one guy is half dying out there and the other is playing his best tennis. It is sad but there is nothing you can do."
Since tennis turned professional in 1968, no player has played more sets to reach a grand slam final. The effect those 27 sets had on Safin was evident from the start.
The Russian had spent 18 hours and 51 minutes on court to reach the final, almost double the 10 hours 50 minutes Federer had needed.
The statistics spoke for themselves.
Safin was sluggish and slow to react. Federer sparkled.
"I tried to take it easy but it was just too much," Safin said. "I spent too many hours on the court, there's nothing you can do."
While the Russian could not reproduce the form that allowed him to eliminate top seed Andy Roddick and defending champion Andre Agassi in earlier rounds, his fortnight's work confirms that he is back among the elite.
He picked up $456,000 and more crucially vaults up the world rankings by more than 50 places.
An injury-plagued 2003 had left the 24-year-old ranked 86 coming into Melbourne. When the new rankings are released on Monday, he will be in the top 35, ATP officials said.
"It is great, I never thought I would be in the finals here," said Safin, the 2000 US Open champion.
"It is OK, I am happy. If you look at the picture realistically it is great for me. I beat some great players and it is good to start the year this way.
"Of course I wish I could have won this tournament but I will survive this moment."
The symmetry between the players coming into the final was striking.
Evenly matched, both men had won 11 titles. Both had seven hardcourt titles and both had won one grand slam crown.
However, from the start it was clear Federer would be the player inching ahead in the statistics books come the end of Sunday.
While the pair exchanged breaks early in the match, Federer always looked the more composed.
He romped through the tiebreak 7-3 to take a one-set lead as the energy rapidly drained from Safin.
Only once before had a player played 30 sets of tennis at a grand slam -- Harold Solomon in 1976 at the French Open.
An exhausted Solomon lost that final and it would have needed a superhuman effort for Safin to bounce back on this occasion.
Lurching around the court, looking to the heavens for inspiration and grimacing in frustration at each missed shot, the pressure boiled over in the second set.
Having dropped serve to hand Federer a 3-2 lead, the Russian smashed his racket in the next game, earning an official warning from British umpire Mike Morrissey.
Unmoved, Federer kept in front, taking a two-set lead in 94 minutes.
His energy sapped and his concentration frazzled, there was no way back for Safin.
He was broken for 2-1 and again for 4-1 as Federer strode toward victory.
"The Swiss don't miss," a sign being waved in the crowd said, and Federer became the first Swiss champion here three games later when Safin fired a forehand long.
- REUTERS
Past 10 finals
1995 Andre Agassi (US) bt Pete Sampras (US) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-4
1996 Boris Becker (Germany) bt Michael Chang (US) 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
1997 Pete Sampras (US) bt Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-2, 6-3, 6-3
1998 Petr Korda (Czech Republic) bt Marcelo Rios (Chile) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
1999 Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) bt Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6
2000 Andre Agassi (US) bt Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
2001 Andre Agassi (US) bt Arnaud Clement (France) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
2002 Thomas Johansson (Sweden) bt Marat Safin (Russia) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6
2003 Andre Agassi (US) bt Rainer Schuettler (Germany) 6-2, 6-2, 6-1
2004 Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Marat Safin (Russia) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-2
MELBOURNE - A rampant Roger Federer brought Marat Safin to his knees on Sunday, beating the shattered Russian Goliath 7-6 6-4 6-2 to win his first Australian Open crown.
Capping a week in which he became world number one for the first time, the Wimbledon champion racked up a second
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