Australian Open - 3rd Round - Men
| Nationality | Player | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | R Federer | 6 | 6 | 7 | - | - |
 | M Safin | 3 | 2 | 6 | - | - |
Roger Federer
| Nationality | SUI |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 08/08/1981 |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Weight | 85 kg |
Marat Safin
| Nationality | RUS |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 27/01/1980 |
| Height | 1.93 m |
| Weight | 88 kg |
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Live Comments
7-6 -
(7-5) Federer produces his best shot of the match - a stunning backhand return down the line - and he goes through to meet Tomas Berdych in the fourth round!
6-6 - (6-5) An ace and another serve returned into the net mean Roger Federer has a match point!
6-6 - (4-5) Safin hammers another ace that Federer challenges, but again it's more in hope than expectation. He then hits another shot long and Safin is back on terms - Incredible!
6-6 - (4-3) Out of all that frustration, Safin has only gone and secured a double-break back! Federer challenges the out call for the second point, but it's futile.
6-6 - (4-1) Safin overhits a forehand just slightly on his first service point, and then a foot fault gives him a double-fault! He's giving the line judge a real talking-to, but the point stands. He's really losing it now.
6-6 - (2-1) The first three points go to serve. Safin is angry about a call but doesn't use his additional challenge.
6-6 - A forehand smash, some errant returns and we have a third-set breaker!
5-6 - Two rock-solid serves are too much for Federer, who can only return them long, and Safin holds. Looks like we're headed for a tie-break.
5-5 - Another no-nonsense Federer service game puts the pressure right back on Safin.
4-5 - Another elementary error from the enigmatic Safin, this time a block-volley hits the net. However, an over-zealous forehand from Federer makes it 40-15, and a slick backhand wins the game.
4-4 - Safin is 15-30 up, but just as Federer is looking worried the Russian hits the simplest of forehands into the net to rob himself of two break points. Federer is buoyed by that and delivers a forehand down the line that knocks Safin's racquet out of his hand! The Swiss holds and time is running out for Marat Safin.
3-4 - Safin delivers another ace, but unless he can hraness that anger on every point he's heading out of the tournament. Federer hits a shot out and then Safin lifts a delightful drop-volley over the net for 40-0! Yet another ace wins the game for him, and gives a glimpse of how this match might have gone.
3-3 - Federer is his own worst enemy as he squanders a 40-15 lead and Safin has a chance at deuce. He hits a forehand way too long and hits the ball into the crowd with his racquet handle in frustration! He challenges the call, but it's a frivolous appaeal and he knows it. He saved one Federer advantage, then another, but he's losing his temper and can't repeat the feat a third time.
2-3 - Another ace from Safin opens his service game, and an excellent two-handed backhand down the line finsihes it to 30.
2-2 - No challenge for Federer's serve this time. Safin doesn't look even close to breaking him at the moment.
1-2 - A cracking rally ends with Safin stooping low to return a forehand but it hits the net. He then hits his second ace of the game to level at 30-30. He then delightfully wrong-foots Federer with a cheeky volley to take the game.
1-1 - Safin is pushing Federer more on his serve now, but the Swiss still holds to 30 with relative ease in the end.
0-1 - Once again, a rejuvenated Safin comes firing out of the blocks with a solid opening service game, but he has a mountain to climb now and he knows it.
6-2 -
Safin puts up a brave fight, but Federer is at the net to smash home and take a two-set lead!
5-2 -
BREAK! Safin fails to convert his advantage, and a long rally forehand gives Federer the chance to break for the second time in this set, and duly delivers with an inch-perfect forehand winner down the line.
4-2 - Safin lobs over Federer into the corner and the Swiss goes for the Hot Dog... wrong side of the tramline. Safin gets the lob right next time though to go 30-15 up. The Russian then hits his drop-volley at the net that's ruled out. Hawkeye confirms that the call was correct, but there's no telling Safin! He challenges the line out call in almost exactly the same spot on the next point - and this time gets it right! All this amounts to the game going to deuce...
4-2 - Federer is 30-15, but then hits an elementary forehand into the net. An thunderous ace atones for that error, and Safin returns into the net to give Federer a 4-2 lead.
3-2 -
BREAK! Federer races up to 0-40 on the Safin serve, but the Russian saves his bacon by correctly challenging an out call on his second serve. It's only a temporary reprieve though, as Federer sends a brilliantly disguised backhand back across him and into the far corner!
2-2 - Federer seems to have taken those last two aces as a personal affront from Safin, as he delivers yet another love service game in no time at all.
1-2 - Federer hits a forehand long and wastes a 0-30 lead. Safin aces his next two serves to avoid that little scare and take the game!
1-1 - Safin challenges an out call successfully and then wins the re-taken point with a great forehand. He then scoops a backhanded lob over Federer for 0-30. Federer fails in a challenge of his own but then hammers a forehand winner home on his second serve. Another Federer winner takes him to 40-30, but Safin then forces the deuce. Federer eventually holds with a cross-court forehand and an unreturnable serve.
0-1 - Safin begins the second set in imperious fashion, with a long Federer forehand seeing him tkae the opening game to 15.
6-3 -
Federer serves another love game and with it takes the set!
5-3 -
BREAK! Safin comes into the net 0-15 down, and sees a clinical Federer backhand whizz right past him down the line. He then hits the net and Federer has three break points. A double-fault gives Federer the chance to serve out the first set.
4-3 - This match is warming up nicely. Safin is winning everything at the net, and steps in to volley another close-range winner. Federer then hits into the net for 30-30, but the swiss closes out from there.
3-3 - We have our first competitiive game now, as Federer catches Safin on the back foot and hammers a forehand down the line to secure deuce. Safin steps up to the net for a backhanded volley to earn advantage, but hits the net on the next point. The Russian finally hits a forehand winner to hold.
3-2 - This crowd came to see The Roger Federer Show, but so far they have been muted as the Swiss serves up a love game.
2-2 - Following another ace, Safin gets the rub of the green when the ball clips the net and puts Federer off his shot, the Swiss hitting long and levelling the set in the process.
2-1 - Neither man is yet to concede more than a single point on their serve as Federer guns through his game.
1-1 - The battling Russian - who has finally lost the two black eyes he was sporting during the Hopman Cup - delivers a stunning ace on the way to holding his opening game.
1-0 - Safin overhits his first return, then unsuccessfully challenges a Federer ace. The Swiss makes short work of the Russian and takes the first game.