Marat Safin - Getty Images

Safin's Back!

July 7, 2008

After struggling to find his game for the better part of two years, Marat Safin found his form at the unlikeliest of places: on the grass courts at the famed All England Club.

Playing on the surface he once said he hated—his best previous result was a quarter-final appearance seven years ago—the Russian star reached the semifinals for the first time at the Wimbledon Championships last week thanks to a run that included victories over four seeded players.

No triumph was bigger than the one he recorded in the second round when he pulled off the biggest upset of the men’s draw with a stunning straight-sets victory over No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic. The young Serb came into Wimbledon riding a wave of confidence after winning his first Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open and capturing another pair of Masters Series shields at Indian Wells and Rome earlier this season. In comparison, Safin arrived in London a lowly No. 75 in the world rankings, having failed to put together more than two wins at any point in 2008. But on centre court on the third day of the tournament the rankings and history didn’t matter as Safin was brilliant in crushing Djokovic 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-2. He then went on to defeat No. 29 Andreas Seppi (Italy), No. 13 Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) and No. 31 Feliciano Lopez (Spain) before falling to world No. 1 Roger Federer (Switzerland) in the semis.

Despite the loss in the semifinal, Safin made it further than anyone, including himself, would have thought in the days leading up to the event and in the process, resurrected his career. He also showed signs of a new-found maturity, in contrast to the emotional outbursts for which he has come to be known. Safin’s play provided a flashback for long-time tennis fans, reminding everyone of what he can do when he’s at the top of his game. The 28-year-old Moscow native is a former world No. 1 player and two-time Grand Slam champion (2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open). He has also captured five career Masters Series titles, including the Rogers Cup championship in 2000, and helped his country to a pair of Davis Cup victories in 2002 and 2006.

Much of that success has been forgotten in recent years as he’s floundered at the bottom of the rankings, dipping as low as No. 93 in April. However, his magical run at Wimbledon vaulted him back up to No. 40 and with his ranking now high enough to qualify for main draw entry at the remaining big events on the calendar, Safin could continue to rise before the year is over.

His recent results are a testament to his new-found dedication to the sport that is a major part of his family life. Safin’s younger sister is Dinara Safina, currently the No. 9 ranked player on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and this year’s French Open finalist. In addition, his parents were former tennis players and coaches and when he was little his father managed the local Spartak Tennis Club, where Safin trained as a youngster alongside other Russian greats Elena Dementieva (No. 6 in the women’s world rankings), Anastasia Myskina (2004 French Open champion) and Anna Kournikova.

Last September, Safin spent 10 days climbing part of Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest mountain in the Himalayas. This year, he appears to be looking for a new climbing spot: the South African Airways ATP rankings.