| Monday, 30 June 2008 Written by Kate Battersby Marat Safin, the former world number one, equalled his best-ever Wimbledon performance by improbably reaching the quarter-finals. The 28-year-old Russian, now ranked 75th in the world, beat the number 13 seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, to the transparent delight of the No. 1 Court crowd. He will play Feliciano Lopez in the last eight.
It was comparatively simple for Safin, given that he had lost to Wawrinka in their two previous encounters, both in the past year. Yet Safin, who dumped third seed Novak Djokovic out in the second round, was always in the ascendancy. Wawrinka, 23, who began this year ranked 36 and has since climbed to number nine, could not exert his authority over the match and looked increasingly unhappy.
Of course, Safin also appeared outwardly unhappy, but only in that uniquely Safinesque way that actually means he is enjoying himself. He did a spot of racquet flinging and had an unusual argument from the baseline with umpire Jake Garner about whether he was on a first or a second serve. There was another tiff at a changeover when Garner suggested to Safin that he might like to reduce just a little the time taken between serves. But these exchanges were all meat and drink to Safin, and neither they nor Wawrinka could divert him from victory.
The match began like a dream for Safin. He won the first nine points, before Wawrinka stopped the rot with an ace. Then the two-time Grand Slam winner surrendered a series of individual break points, and eventually pushed a backhand volley long to level it at 3-3. That prompted a little light racquet hurling from Safin, but it did not dissuade him from playing the lines. That tactic almost granted Wawrinka another chance to break. Safin, shaking his head, chided himself in Russian. He promptly broke again with a lovely forehand before serving out the set.
Immediately at the start of the second, the Swiss was under pressure, saving break point to Safin's visible frustration. Wawrinka double-faulted to hand over the break for 2-3. It was not then that Safin allowed himself a small smile but later when a voice in the crowed called out: "I love you, Marat!" Wawrinka, who was bidding to make it two Swiss men in a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time, sent another forehand long to bring up three set points. When the Russian forced a backhand error from Wawrinka it was two sets to love.
The Swiss, who had only once before breathed the air of a Grand Slam fourth-round tie, felt the need to regroup and took a toilet break. It seemed to do the trick, and he imposed himself sufficiently on the match to break for 3-2. Safin looked thoroughly disgusted. But Wawrinka failed to serve out the set, making two poor errors to yield for 5-5, only to re-establish his advantage in the next game. This time he did not let it slip.
Early in the fourth Wawrinka pressed hard but the mental battle was wearing. He delivered an apparent double-fault to give the break for 1-3, and successfully challenged the call but it was only postponing the inevitable. Wawrinka pressed again without profit, only to give away another break. Safin grabbed his chance.
It is two years since Safin last won four matches in a row. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam where he has never reached the semi-finals. Lopez leads their career encounters 4-1, including their one meeting at Wimbledon, back in 2005. But on the other hand, Safin is in his first Grand Slam quarter-final since Australia 2005 – a title he went on to win. He might like that omen.
| Court 1 - Gentlemen's Singles - 4th Round | |
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