Roddick Edged by Safin, Loses No. 1 ATP Ranking

Posted on January 28, 2004

World No. 1 Andy Roddick and unseeded former No. 1 Marat Safin gave fans their money's worth Tuesday in a five-set stunner at the Australian Open, with the Russian walking away with a win that secured his status as a threat again after an extended injury lay-off.

Safin dropped the first set and overcame an apparent groin injury before storming back 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(0), 6-4, securing the deciding service break at 4-4 in the fifth set and serving it out. Safin preyed on the Roddick backhand during the match, and benefited from some shaky Roddick net-rushes at key moments. The loss dropped Roddick to a 2-10 win-loss record versus his young generation of peers in Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Roger Federer.

"I cannot ask for anything else, this is the best birthday I can ever have," said the just-turned-24-year-old Safin, who before the tournament began voicing his goal of returning to the top spot by year's end. "Beating the No. 1 in the world is really nice."


With Roddick's loss the No. 1 ranking is up for grabs between Ferrero and Federer, with Ferrero needing to reach the final to steal it from the Swiss.

The first men's quarterfinal started on a sour note when (9)Sebastien Grosjean was forced to retire trailing 2-6, 0-2 against (4)Andre Agassi after pulling a groin/leg muscle. "He play straight to my forehand, and I felt something really hard in my leg straightaway," Grosjean said. "It was tough after to move, so I couldn't really move and give 100 percent on the court. You know, it happen in the last year as well, and I keep playing, and after I stop eight weeks. So, you know, I really felt the same thing, so that's why I stopped."

There was one upset in the men's quarterfinal doubles, with (9)Gaston Etlis/Martin Rodriguez ousting (4)Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor in a three-set match straight out of last November's Masters Cup doubles in Houston.

Today on the men's side in quarterfinal action features (3)Ferrero vs. the unseeded Hicham "The Rockin' Moroccan" Arazi (Ferrero leads career meetings 3-2), and (2)Federer vs. (8)Nalbandian. It will be the first Aussie Open semi reached for either Ferrero or Arazi, while Club Fed trails Nalbandian 1-5 in their head-to-head encounters, finally breaking through with a win last November at the Masters Cup.

On the women's side, Fabiola "The Fabulous One" Zuluaga became the first Colombian to gain a slam semifinal when tearful No. 4-seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo withdrew before the match started due to a mid-back muscle strain. "I pulled a muscle a couple days ago, and I was able at that time to go to the end because I guess I was warm," Mauresmo said. "But, you know, I wanted to try this morning. I didn't feel very good yesterday. I wanted to try this morning to have a little hit and see how it goes and see how I felt. But, unfortunately, I don't feel good enough to play a match. I have pain, so I have to withdraw from this tournament."

In the other quarterfinal Tuesday, top-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne continued her domination over No. 5 seed Lindsay Davenport with a 7-5, 6-3 victory. Davenport blew a 4-0 lead in an opening set that contained an amazing seven breaks of serve, with the American leading 5-4 with triple break point on H-H's serve and failing to close the deal. Davenport made 33 unforced errors to H-H's 22, and converted on only 4 of 12 break point chances. That's not going to get the job done against the world No. 1. Sleep well on that 4-0 lead.

"One return I had the wrong grip," said the American of her break point chances in the first set. "I thought I was going to get a forehand. Next one she hit a great first serve. Then, you know, the last one, I ended up getting kind of a shorter forehand and just over-hit it." H-H will face Zuluaga in the women's semifinals on Thursday.

Today's QF match-ups feature (22)Patty Schnyder vs. (25)Lisa Raymond (Swiss leads career meetings 4-0), and (2)Kim Clijsters vs. (6)Anastasia Myskina (tied 3-3).

A-ROD vs. CONTEMPORARIES
World No. 1 Andy Roddick has a combined 2-10 career win-loss record against contemporaries Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Roger Federer:

Roddick vs. Marat Safin -- The Russian has won both their encounters, matching Roddick's serving prowess and getting the better of him on the service return.
Roddick vs. Lleyton Hewitt -- The Aussie has won all three of their encounters, again winning the return-of-serve battle and working the Roddick backhand wing.
Roddick vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero -- Roddick leads 1-0, winning their hardcourt encounter last year in the final of the US Open.
Roddick vs. Roger Federer -- Club Fed leads the rivalry 5-1, winning two of three encounters last year.

MOROCCANS IN SLAM QF (OPEN ERA)
1997 Roland Garros -- Hicham Arazi (l. to Sergi Bruguera)
1998 Roland Garros -- Hicham Arazi (l. to Cedric Pioline)
2000 Australian Open -- Hicham Arazi (l. to Andre Agassi)
2000 Australian Open -- Younes El Aynaoui (l. to Yevgeny Kafelnikov)
2002 US Open -- Younes El Aynaoui (l. to Lleyton Hewitt)
2003 Australian Open -- Younes El Aynaoui (l. to Andy Roddick)
2003 US Open -- Younes El Aynaoui (l. to David Nalbandian)
2004 Australian Open -- Hicham Arazi (vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero)

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Andy Roddick couldn't pull another rabbit out of the hat, after getting by Younes El Aynaoui at the Aussie Open last year and then David Nalbandian at Wimbledon, his luck ran out against the fierce Marat Safin. The loss means Roddick will lose his No. 1 ranking to Roger Federer, who will assume the top roll unless Juan Carlos Ferrero reaches the final...Lisa Raymond and her "friend" Jennifer will vie for their first SF slam berth tomorrow against Patty "Nutty" Schynder. Given the quality that transpired between Andy Roddick-Marat Safin, why would ESPN even show that match? Just put Roddick-Safin on a loop until the Andre Agassi-Safin match...While Metallica's Lars Ullrich was in Andy Roddick's box Tuesday night, Mandy Moore was nowhere to be found. Though you lost your match, Andy, at least you've improved your taste in music...What were the odds Marat Safin would be in the semifinals at the start of the tournament? Anyone put bank on that? Safin has beaten four Americans in Melbourne -- Brian Vahaly, James Blake, Todd Martin and Andy Roddick -- and will go for a fifth against Andre Agassi. That has to be a record, someone look that up...Who was that hot little number in Marat Safin's box? No, not his mom...Hey USTA execs, a few of which were in the Laver house today, how nice was it to have a roof on the stadium?...Davis Cup teams are expected to be named Wednesday for the February first round match-ups...What happened to Marat's groin injury early in the A-Rod match? Way to tough it out...How goofy does Andy Roddick look when he tries to volley? Flail around more...David Nalbandian has not dropped a set at the Aussie Open...Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor got thrown a bone by opening play on Laver when Mauresmo withdrew. Too bad they threw the bone back when they lost to Gaston Etlis and Martin Rodriguez in what seemed like an 8-hour match...Fabiola "The Fabulous One" Zulaga is the first Colombian to ever reach a Grand Slam semifinal. For another great moment in Colombian tennis history, check their 1978 Davis Cup win over the U.S...Lisa Raymond on why she's still around during week two of the Aussie Open: "You know, I feel fit. I'm healthy. I don't have any injuries. You know, I think it's a combination of a lot of hard work and a belief. You know, I've always had the game. You know, I've had people tell me for the past, you know, 10 years that I've been out here that I've got the talent. But you know what, that doesn't really take you too far out here. The girls are too good and too mentally tough. And you have to believe you belong out here, and you have to believe that, you know, you belong in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam or the semifinals of a Grand Slam in order to achieve that. You know, I think, you know, for some reason, you know, this past week, these past two weeks, I believe that. It's just clicked." You know?...Kim Clijsters was also wrestling with her tongue while explaining her foot injury: "So far during the tournament it's something that I don't really want to think about too much. If I had a lot of things to do, you know, before I came here and about my foot and sort of while I got here, wanted to just, you know, focus on my tennis as much as possible. Of course I have some priorities now, a little bit different. Yeah, so I think -- but I still have to, yeah, when I go home and stuff, I have to sit down and think about what's gonna happen next." Don't think too hard, you might get a headache...After his loss to Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt says all the Australian tournaments need to get on the same page in regard to surface: "You know, I practiced on Adelaide before I went to the Hopman Cup. Then I played in the Hopman Cup, I played in Sydney, I played in Melbourne and none of them are the same. I think Sydney and Melbourne was the biggest difference of all-time."...Andre Agassi has won 26 consecutive matches at the Aussie Open...Aussie newspaper The Australian on the fleshy WTA Tour: "A women's double match (at the Australian Open) yesterday featured 18-year-old Myriam Casanova who appeared out of condition. The girl most likely of 2001, American Ashley Harkleroad, does not have the figure of an elite sportswoman, yet she can maintain a ranking of 46 in the world. It is not a good look for the sport."...On the heels of drawing ire for spitting at a linesperson at the Aussie Open, Fabrice Santoro has been booted from the French Davis Cup team due to a feud with captain Guy Forget: "Santoro is still our best doubles player. This is an important decision regarding the way the group is working. Team spirit has always been the strength of our squad. I think that today some tensions have not been eliminated. The strength and the talent of a player do not influence the result of a team. There are differences of opinion on some points. I did not create the tensions." Last year Santoro and countryman Michael Llodra, the 2003 Aussie Open doubles champs, qualified for the year-end Masters Cup doubles...CNN/SI's Jon Wertheim on ESPN's horrible U.S. coverage of the Aussie Open: "After about the 100th correspondence -- no joke -- griping about ESPN's Australian Open coverage, I stopped counting...I'm in complete agreement with you guys: If you're enough of a tennis fan to tune into matches that often don't begin until midnight ET, it's unlikely you'd want to watch another Agassi/Roddick/Venus mauling at the expense of seeing better matches featuring -- get this -- non-Americans. And airing matches on tape-delay is so '80s. Don't we have the Classic Sports Network for that?"...The WTA Tour is endorsing switching the 2007 Aussie Open to March...French comer Paul-Henri Mathieu has dislocated his left wrist and will be out of action for six weeks, he said on his website...The USTA and ESPN has announced that ESPN2 will broadcast eight hours of the 2004 USA vs. Austria Davis Cup first round, Feb. 6-8, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn...Hey ESPN, good job Tuesday morning in the U.S. -- while Andy Roddick and Marat Safin are entering a fifth set around 6-6:30 a.m. (EST), you're showing "Fishin' Hole" and "Beat Charlie Moore" on ESPN2. And on ESPN Classic you're showing an infomercial! Can you drop the ball more during this fortnight? Now it's 7 a.m., and at 4-4 in the 5th set, I'm looking at your lame "Cold Pizza" show. Cold indeed, ESPN...Andre Agassi on facing Marat Safin: "Big serve. That worries me. 6'5" always tends to worry me a little bit. Monster forehand is a bit concerning, as well as a backhand that he can crush both directions, and the fact that he moves well is a bit unsettling."...Andre Agassi with the backhanded dig at former coach Brad Gilbert: "He seems to be doing a great job with Andy. I'm happy for him as far as that goes. I think it's great for Andy and it's great for American tennis. It's been a good thing. Listen, we all won. We all won. I got who I consider to be the greatest coach now, and Brad has the guy that's ranked No. 1 in the world." "Seems to be"? "Who I consider the greatest"? Ouch.