Volatile Safin Keeps Temper in Check for Masters Series Paris Win

Marat Safin kept his fragile temper in check long enough to win his third title of the year Sunday at the Masters Series-Paris with a 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 win over Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek.

All three of the Russian's titles have come after the US Open in a late-season surge that has seen the Russian qualify for the Masters Cup and win the inaugural Tennis-X Euro Series. It was also the second consecutive Masters Series title for Safin after Madrid.

"I didn't have a great middle of the year, but finally success is coming again at last," said Safin, who joined Boris Becker as the only two players to win three career Paris-indoor titles. "Coming to Paris, in winter and the summer, is always one the great experiences in my life and the crowds here keep tennis alive...For some reason for me it's a problem to play in the middle of the season. You know, the tournaments in the States, where I really have to do well, and probably for some reason I put too much pressure on myself. And then at the end of the year, basically I have nothing to lose, and I just let it go and I'm playing great tennis."

Safin's hold on his temper started to unravel in the second set, but the Russian came back from 2-4 in the tiebreak to clinch the second, then cruised in the third.

"There were too many unforced errors for me," said Stepanek, who committed well over double that of Safin. "But Marat plays very fast from the back of the court making it very hard to get to his groundstrokes. I gave everything I had, but it just wasn't enough."

In the doubles final, in a preview of the Masters Cup Doubles, (3) Jonas Bjorkman/Todd Woodbridge won their third title of the year in their fifth final, blowing by unseeded Zimbabweans Byron Black/Kevin Ullyett 6-3, 6-4 in approximately an hour.