Roddick spark sees-off Safin

In a classic match worthy of a final, fifth-seeded Andy Roddick outlasted Marat Safin 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Friday to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.

In a classic match worthy of a final, fifth-seeded Andy Roddick outlasted Marat Safin 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Friday to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open.

Safin, the 2005 champion and former world No. 1, was seeded only 26th as he comes back from a knee injury that kept him from defending his title last year. That meant one of the highly ranked players would have to face him early in the two-week tournament.

No. 6 Roddick drew the unenviable task and showed his confidence is high again after a malaise that dropped him out of the top 10 last year before he convinced Jimmy Connors to coach him. He now faces No. 9 Mario Ancic.

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“I knew I was going to have to play well and I definitely lifted my level in the last couple of sets,” Roddick said. “Anything less than that and I would probably would be going home.”

Serena Williams, also plagued by a bad knee last year and unseeded after winning here in 2005, rallied after No. 5 Nadia Petrova served for the match at 6-1, 5-3, showing that she still has superior skills and a strong will to win.

Top-ranked Roger Federer had an easier time against 25th-seeded Mikhail Youzhny, beating last year’s US Open semi-finalist 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, the defending women’s champion, beat Eva Birnerova and next plays Lucie Safarova, who won the first set before Anastasiya Yakimova retired with a back injury.

No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova beat fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko and No. 7 Elena Dementieva advanced over Maria Elena Camerin of Italy. Also advancing were No. 10 Nicole Vaidisova and No. 16 Shahar Peer.

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For more than three hours, Roddick and Safin exchanged 210 kph-plus serves, stinging groundstrokes, crisp volleys and deft drops, leaving the packed stadium enthralled and applauding nearly every point.

Both players were dripping sweat on a still, muggy night that had people in the crowd fanning themselves. The roof had to be closed due to a light rain, and Safin complained bitterly that the court hadn’t been dried up enough when play resumed, earning a warning for an audible obscenity. They also demonstrated sharp eyes, using the new challenge system to overturn a number of calls, including four in two games of the third set.

With Connors watching from courtside after flying in following the death of his mother, Roddick showed his new aggressiveness. Safin left everything on the court, including a bit of skin. He fell flat and scraped the fingers on his right hand, and had to have treatment for a bloodied pinkie.