Safin v. Federer in the final

[My_Baby_Tazza]

Federer whips Ferrero

Fox


SWISS Roger Federer is the new world No.1 after crushing Spanish third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero in straight sets in a one-sided Australian Open semi-final tonight.

Second seed Federer will now play unseeded Russian Marat Safin in Sunday's final.

It took the Wimbledon champion just 1hr 29min to wipe the French Open champion, 6-4 6-1 6-4 in his fourth win over Ferrero in seven encounters.

Federer claimed the top ranking for the first time in his career after year-end No.1 Andy Roddick was knocked out in the quarter-finals here by Safin. The Swiss ace is now into his second Grand Slam final and leads Safin 3-1 in head-to-head meetings.

"I had the chance to become No.1 in the world, I missed it in Montreal (semi-final last August) against Andy Roddick and to take it this time I was really nervous in the end," Federer said.

"Maybe, I have a poker-face sometimes, but I do get very nervous out there."

Federer said he was looking forward to playing against Safin in the final, describing him as one of his favourite opponents.

"Great guy, great match, great player, so I'm looking forward to playing him, he's one of my favourite guys to play against, not because of our results, but from the human side, he's in the final and it's really nice to see," he said.

"The whole tennis world is really happy to have him in the final, too."

It was a spectacular performance from Federer who broke the Spaniard's service four times and first served at a very high 72 percent through the lopsided semi-final.

Ferrero said he was less than 100 percent fit after battling injuries throughout the tournament.

"I was not so good today, I was far from 100 percent and I couldn't make three or four balls in a row," he said. "Roger's playing good, but I was hitting the ball perfect in the early rounds and I think if I was 100 percent today I could have won the match.

"Playing a semi-final here is a good result for me, but I'm a little bit disappointed I didn't go further."

Ferrero said he would pull out of Spain's Davis Cup tie with the Czech Republic in Brno next week and rest.

It has been a brilliant fortnight for the 22-year-old Federer, who knocked over two of his tennis bogeymen, Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian to reach the semi-final.

It is Federer's 11th straight match win taking in his six victories here and his five wins at the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston last November.

Ferrero occupied the top ranking for eight weeks from September to November last year before Roddick finished the year-end number one.

Federer fought off four break points in the seventh game but it signalled a change of fortunes for Ferrero.

The Spaniard's serve was broken for the first time in the 10th to hand the Swiss second seed the opening set in 32 minutes.

Ferrero netted a blistering Federer forehand to set up three set points and then hit a forehand long for the set.

Federer was first-serving at 76 percent in the first set and hit 14 winners to 11.

It didn't get any better for world No.3 Ferrero in the second set with the Swiss ace breaking serve twice in the second and the sixth games to jump out to a two sets to love lead in 56 minutes.

Ferrero pulled off taping protecting his left thigh after the third game but it didn't help him on the scoreboard.

Federer was clinically taking his chances three breaks off three opportunities while Ferrero was 0 from 4.

Ferrero looked under increasing strain from the pressing Federer and was broken for a fourth time in the match in the seventh game when he was unable to get back a blistering backhand return of service from the Swiss on break point.

Federer served it out and raised his arms in triumph when the Spaniard's forehand was long.

[Donny]

Federer shows no mercy

By Patrick Miles - Fox

A RICHLY deserved title for Roger Federer yesterday marked the Swiss as the best player in the world but it also continued the recent history of disappointing men's singles finals at the tournament.


It did not take long for Federer to unpick the seams of Marat Safin, who confessed afterwards he had "run out of gas". It has been a long time - 16 years and counting - since Mats Wilander and Pat Cash produced a worthy final.

The Swede beat the Australian over five sets in 1988 - the first time the event was held at Melbourne Park - and since then, none of the men's deciders has gone the full distance.

But while Federer's 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 6-2 victory was ultimately one-sided, it served to demonstrate his uncanny powers with a racquet, and it is doubtful whether any player could have found a way past him.

Federer's all-round talents have been the subject of intense discussion and although he said he was "not going to start praising myself", he did give some insight into his inherent ability.

"Just for me, my game feels natural," Federer said. "I feel like I'm living the game when I'm out there.

"I feel when a guy is going to hit the ball, I know exactly, with the angles and the spins, I feel that I've got that figured out."

There was a feeling at Wimbledon last year that Federer's breakthrough at the All England Club would be the first of many such successes for the 22-year-old Swiss.

After a fortnight in Melbourne, for the loss of just two sets, one to Lleyton Hewitt and a second to David Nalbandian, that feeling has acquired even greater strength.

"I thought I played great, basically, from the first round on," Federer said. "I never had a feeling where I thought 'I'm not hitting the ball great'.

"I thought especially the Lleyton Hewitt match was one of the most exciting for me these two weeks."

Federer arrived in Australia without a coach and leaves with the world No.1 ranking and his second Grand Slam title. He is the first Swiss man to achieve either feat.

On his return home after winning Wimbledon, his compatriots gave him a cow. He is not sure how they will respond this time.

"I have no idea how the Swiss people will react to this one," Federer said. "Swiss people tend to be a little bit different."

Safin's reserves of energy were the key to yesterday's final. Only a full tank would have been sufficient to challenge a fresh Federer, and it was apparent from the opening few games that the Russian had done his dash.

Three five-setters in his past four matches - including remarkable victories over the world No.1 Andy Roddick and defending champion Andre Agassi in the previous two rounds - were more than he could have hoped for, given that the wrist injury he sustained at Melbourne Park last year kept him off the circuit for eight months. Safin needed to win the first set to have any hope against a supremely confident Federer. The Russian broke first for a 2-1 lead but Federer redressed the balance in the next game.

They exchanged breaks again before Safin faced two set points at 5-6. Two errors by the Swiss produced a tiebreak and nervousness set in.

The first four points of the shoot-out went against the serve, then Federer struck with a cross-court forehand when Safin served at 2-3. Federer, the No.2 seed, took his first set point with a forehand down the line that clipped the tape and landed in. Safin became disconsolate in the second set, tiredness bringing on an outbreak of his former wild ways.

He had already broken one racquet but cleverly disguised the fact by playing, and winning, the following point. On the second occasion, he mashed it beyond recognition and was forced to seek a replacement immediately.

In the final set, he established a dialogue of sorts with the crowd, which was attempting to rally him into giving it some value for money.

"Don't give me a hard time," he cried. "I'm trying my best."

Safin's massive first delivery, which had served him so well against Agassi, was missing. Against the American, he produced 33 aces and not a single double-fault. But he could manage only three aces and coughed up five double-faults yesterday.

But given his limited preparation, Safin was satisfied with his efforts.

"I don't want to push myself down because I lost a match against Federer," Safin said. "It's not like I played against a yo-yo.

"He's the most complete player on the tour."