Remember a time when the pursuit of a 14th Grand Slam singles title seemed completely mind-boggling?
Twenty-five years ago, American all-time great Pete Sampras was doing just that. Major No.13 had just been collected on The All England Club’s pristine Centre Court turf at Wimbledon in 2000.
Then Marat Safin joined the conversation.
Safin had burst into the limelight in 1998. There was a swashbuckling, mischievous charm to the 6-foot-4 firecracker. He brought his pendulum of ferocious shots and mood swings to Flushing Meadows for his main draw debut.
Just like at Roland Garros that year, Safin stormed into Round 4. In New York, Sampras emphatically halted the Safin express 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Then came the 2000 US Open. Safin was in red-hot form with ATP Masters 1000 glory in Toronto as well as a final run over in Indianapolis, before heading to New York City.
That Toronto trophy tilt included a last-gasp 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(8) epic against…Sampras. They were sure to be reunited sooner rather than later.
Safin (seeded No. 6 at the time) and Sampras (then No.4) entered the 2000 US Open as major players in an astonishing era. Andre Agassi was the top seed, with Gustavo Kuerten and Lleyton Hewitt also in the Top 10.
From Safin’s perspective, the first week was a true tug of war. Two of his matches went the distance, including a 6-4, 7-6(3), 1-6, 3-6, 7-6(5) nail-biter with Sebastian Grosjean in Round 3. Due to a series of storms and rain delays, Safin was forced to borrow some clothes in the locker room. Nicolas Kiefer offered up a new shirt and shorts to enable him to close out the victory.
Into the Round of 16, Safin’s raw power, cannonball serve and underrated touch were doing the damage. He swept aside No. 12 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero to the loss of just five games.
Kiefer’s kit kindness was rewarded with a set in their 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 quarterfinal clash, prior to a heavy-hitting 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) duel with Todd Martin.
A first Grand Slam final. Surely, he couldn’t? A certain "Pistol Pete" lay ahead.
The perception was that Sampras would extend his legacy with a 14th Grand Slam and his fifth at Flushing Meadows.
But Safin didn’t read the script.
The 20-year-old red-lined, passing the net-storming Sampras 21 times and he dissolved the only two break points the American managed to conjure up (both in his last service game, as nerves began to jangle).
The 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 scoreline suggests a one-sided encounter. It was domination from start to finish. What an all-time performance to blaze past an all-time great for Grand Slam glory.
"Never in my life have I played better,” said the No. 6 seed at the time. “I don't really remember it. I only remember the last game.”
As for Sampras' gracious assessment? "He played some of the best tennis we have ever seen and I give him all the credit in the world,” stated the home hero. "Everything I tried, he had an answer for. He reminded me of when I was 19 and came here and won it for the first time.”
Safin, who became world No. 1 in 2000, almost repeated the trick at the 2001 US Open, but Sampras dictated play 6-3, 7-5(5), 6-3 in the semifinals.
But the 2000 US Open wasn’t his last Grand Slam final either.
Safin fell in the 2002 Australian Open trophy showdown to Thomas Johansson and two years later at Melbourne Park to Roger Federer. Revenge over Federer came in “a brain fight,” saving match point in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals, prior to breaking home hearts again with a lung-bursting 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(6), 9-7 thriller with green-and-gold talisman Hewitt.
Ruling Down Under was Safin’s second Grand Slam silverware, his 15th and final title.
Safin was a man who was always going to do it his way, on and off the court, calling time on a rock n’ roll career in 2009.
It’s been a welcome sight seeing the 45-year-old back on the scene this fortnight as part of Andrey Rublev’s coaching set up.
25 years on and this mercurial talent still causes a stir at Flushing Meadows.
