Safin Ends The Dream

The Age

Monday January 31, 2005

ALAN ATTWOOD

In the end, fighting Australian Lleyton Hewitt couldn't conquer the superior firepower of the Russian bear.

ANYONE for vodka? Marat Safin is buying. The big Russian bear started last night's Australian Open in slumber mode, but once he woke from hibernation he really roared. Forget Waltzing Matilda. Cue the balalaikas.

For Marat Safin it was third time lucky in an Open final. Safin, the runner-up in 2002 and again last year, needed 165 minutes to conquer the great Australian hope, Lleyton Hewitt, 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4, in the centenary championship.

As the runner-up himself acknowledged, it was a deserved triumph for the man born in Moscow, who in his previous match - the finest of the tournament - had defeated the defending champion, Roger Federer.

For Lleyton Hewitt it was perhaps one match too many. He survived consecutive five-set battles en route to his first Australian final, but in the end his fighting spirit could not conquer Safin's superior firepower.

And so the Open did not quite get the perfect ending. A record crowd was posted over the fortnight, but all those who came last night hoping to witness the first Australian men's triumph since 1976 will have to wait.

Safin, 25, who won his first major championship in 2000 by beating a chap called Sampras, now has his second.

But when another strong service game clinched victory, there was no exuberant celebration from the Russian. He simply clenched his fist, gave a satisfied nod to acknowledge a job well done and strode to the net to accept Hewitt's congratulations.

Accepting the trophy from the man who was both the youngest and oldest Australian champion, Ken Rosewall, the popular Safin apologised to Hewitt and his entourage for pooping their party.

The battle over after a long two weeks, Safin also had kind words for the ball-kids, sponsors and lines-judges. What the hell, he was in the mood to thank everyone.

The two players had come on court at 7.40, shortly after Olivia Newton-John sang a song about believing in magic. Safin was out first, a sombre figure in black and blue. Then came Hewitt in light blue and white, pausing just slightly on his way in to take in the scene: the packed rows of seats; the flags; all the yellow T-shirts in the crowd; a few seagulls circling in the cloudless sky.

It was a perfect night for tennis, mild and with a gentle breeze. Then again, it would have been a perfect afternoon, too, if TV ratings hadn't been such a priority. Safin won the first point of the match with a backhand winner, but when he botched a high backhand volley on the second, his nerves were obvious.

After nine minutes, Safin was trailing 0-3 and shaking his head in bemusement, studying his racquet strings as if looking for answers. He had slayed the giant of tennis, Federer, but was now falling over the beanstalk.

For Hewitt it was almost too easy as the big Russian made error after error.

Most of those around Centre Court wanted a tight match. Many urged Safin to make a contest of it. One encouraging sign for the Russian was his first ace, but it had taken him 35 minutes to find it. He struggled to hold serve, but it was Hewitt who buckled first. In a mirror-image of the first set, Safin led 4-1. He could not wrap it up without a struggle, but after 65 minutes the match was all square.

It now seemed to hang in the balance. When Safin lost his cool after slipping to 0-2, abusing first himself and then his defenceless racquet, all the momentum was with Hewitt.

Trailing 0-3, Safin had his thighs massaged by a trainer. The man should get a medal from President Vladimir Putin. For now things went his way.

Two things happened: Safin found his range and Hewitt unravelled. He earned a code violation after abusing a linesman who had dared to foot-fault him. Safin fought back to level the set at 4-4, broke Hewitt again, then served it out. He needed two set points to clinch a pivotal set. The match was just over two hours old, but for the first time Safin was clearly ahead.

Hewitt had far more supporters. He had an organised cheer squad. But none had the answers when Safin nailed a backhand cross-court winner to break Hewitt's serve again in the opening game of the fourth set. The Russian was on a roll. Hewitt kept running, kept fighting, but there was now no stopping Safin.

© 2005 The Age

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