Federer vs Safin Epic Tiebreak IN FULL _ ATP Finals 2004 Semi-Final

So into a breaker we go and I wonder whether Federer recognizes what an outstanding record he has against Saffin. Four zip for the two of them. Federer's played one breaker so far this week and won it. Saffin's played three, one, one, lost two. Look at that record for Federer, it's unbelievable. He steps up another gear. That's what Federer is all about, that's what he's been about for the last 18 months really, whenever he's had the opportunity to do something a little bit special. He's got to do it with both hands. Incredible movement, he's gotten a mini break back. Jim was saying with us earlier on he wants it to go to a third set for the fans. Which was doing him harm early on, doing him more and more good. Lovely length, very difficult to defend against. Saffin uses that down the line shot to good effect. Ball goes a million miles and it is high as some of those Houston Rockets. He fancied it, so did Lundgren, but it wasn't there. About an inch wide and boy it could have made a difference. So Federer has another mini break. Very aggressive tennis from the Russian, taking the ball on, taking the game to Federer. Excellent length on the approach and good display of his athleticism and his movement back. His contact with the ball on the smash was superb. Good use of the wrist in order to get the ball down into the court and he's back on level terms. It's been great fairness and admirable of Saffin to come back after the pounding he was taking early on to take this to this crescendo of excitement. Phenomenal shot from Federer. Second serve and Saffin looked to have the point until the final shot. Saffin I think will have been delighted with the quality of his approach shot but how many times have we seen Federer just roll up the back of the ball in order to get the necessary topspin to go cross court. It's high percentage and it puts Saffin under too much pressure in order to make the shot. Big chance for Federer. Plenty of time. Saffin I think having mistimed the approach will have his heart in his mouth. Number of options there. I thought he was going to lob. Saffin after the point just thinking that he should have approached cross court but that was an excellent length and the ball was staying relatively low. Federer just supreme on the pass. A mini break in front. He has two serves to take him into the final. No quarter are still given here. Was a little short and Federer pounced. It would have been easy for him to use the forehand inside out here and I think that's the shot that Saffin was anticipating. Excellent target. Well inside the service box. Didn't beat his opponent for depth for direction. So after an hour and 28 minutes match point for Roger Federer. And if you're Leighton Hewitt watching this, what do you want? He definitely wants Saffin to win that's for sure. They don't have a good record against Federer. Nobody does really in so many matches against top 10 opponents. It becomes very difficult to believe you can get the job done. Because it's five and five here in Saffin. Hewitt against Federer. Seven and seven. Federer has won the last five. Listen to the crowd. Jim McIntyre was right. They really want this to go to a third set. And I'm sure you at home, those uncommitted, will want to as well. Saffin with set one. What a chance. Had lots of time. The feet were set up. The shot was on. Just failed to execute. And that's just tension. Got to forget it. It's tough. So much easier said than done right now. But he's got to stay in the present. Federer punching him with another serve out wide. And that gives him a second match point. Full face from Saffin. And again full credit to Saffin after missing that forehand. He's come back big time. Must have been very very difficult to get that missed forehand out of his mind. And he's done so superbly. He's got an opportunity here. Second set point again on the Federer serve. I think the key there was the second serve. It was gutsy from Federer. I think Saffin might have been expecting the kick one out to his backhand. Federer took a chance and of course expects Saffin to make it. But perhaps taken a little bit by surprise. But he's just had difficulty making the most basic of shots when he's had his opportunities in this tiebreaker. Federer's won so many of his big matches over the last year. To think that his camp had more confidence than the Saffin camp. Saffin camp hoping. Federer's camp perhaps expecting. Big athleticism from Federer earlier on in the rally which earned him the chance. Mistake from Saffin. But now a third match point for Federer. Was it wide? I'm sure it was wide. Maybe it got a bit of a line. I don't think so. I think the match should be over. No wonder she's got her hand in front of her mouth. I'm sure that was wide. Yes it was. It should be the match over. Wow. Down Steve Ulrich's line. Was it one to intervene? He's not a natural intervener. Very difficult to overrule on match point. The linesman's got to make that call. Another chance. And this time it's a better one because Federer has the serve on match point number four. Now it'll be poetic justice if Federer does win the match. But how well did he deal with the fact that he's already won it because of that line caught. He shrugged his shoulders. Got on with it. Will he be brave with the second serve? Nope. They both have had so many chances. Federer going for the angle but for once the execution let him down. Very uncharacteristic to miss time a shot in such a vital point. Federer so fluent under pressure. And he has a fifth match point. This is not doing a lot of the crowd much good. It's a fine line between what's healthy and what's enjoyable. I think we might be crossing the line here. It's been caught out. My first instinct was that it was out. Let's have a look at it through TMI. And it was a good overall from Steve Ulrich. Well I thought it was initially in when he hit the shot but it's amazing that that same lines person pulled it out having not pulled the ball out earlier in the tie break which would have given Federer the match. So good intervention by the umpire but very difficult situation for Federer. Isn't he taking it so very well? This is top class stuff from Roger Federer. Another reason why he is the class of tennis in 2004. Tremendous second serve. So much top spin on that ball. Kicked it in short. Way above Federer's shoulder. Tremendous stuff from Safin. And this is developing into one of the tie breaks. 13-12. Another set point for Safin. 127 miles an hour that serve. Well Jim McInvale was saying the crowd deserve a third set. They more or less got one. Superb from Safin. On the run. Terrific length. His retrieval was quite superb. Got the ball back to a length so Federer couldn't dominate the rally. Something this fan is delirious. So Safin with a fourth set point this time on his serve. That looks a very edgy shot. Even the mighty get time when it really matters. Took an awful lot off the first serve as well. It was only 118 miles an hour. The second only 91. So he was definitely tight. Missing that forehand relatively speaking by a country mile. 14-0. Safin. Fifth set point for Safin. That was an amazing backhand. He was under so much pressure. Safin couldn't have played the point any better. The length on the forehand was supreme. He got set up and perhaps the only thing he could have done was hit it slightly closer to the single sideline. But for Federer to be able to change direction on the ball there under that much pressure. Unbelievable. This is what's made him such a great player. This and all the talent that he has. But talent's one thing. Being able to employ it in situations like this is quite another. Safin going through the whole gambit at the moment. Some wonderful shots and then when he's got chances making errors. He didn't get the center line. Eight face. No he didn't get the center line. But he deserves some luck you have to say. Sixth match point for Federer. Safin playing the match point so much better than the way he's playing his set points. Only shoulders there. Impeccable length. Federer trying to change things up using the slice on the backhand. Dropping it short on the return but all to no avail. Well whether or not it goes to a third set this is an absolute cracker of a match. Minutes we've been going in the breaker alone. It is almost like a set. And now Safin has a sixth chance to finish the set. Extraordinary defense from Federer. What can you say to it? Just about his favorite shot. Well he'd set the point up so well. That's exactly right. Kept Federer under pressure. Finally got the short ball. Unable to execute. Federer crowding. Crowd on tenderhooks. And again the Swiss has match point. This is match point number seven. Marek Safin. 129 mile an hour. Once the return had gone in I'm sure Federer thought this is it. Suddenly Safin was able to change direction on the ball supremely well and put Federer under enough pressure to draw the arrow. But I'm sure both of these players can't believe that each of them is responding so well to adversity. So for the sixth time they change around. Sixth time in the break. It's the moment in the championship so far. Oh what was that? 19. Only his second double fault in the match and he got the geography hopelessly wrong. What can you say? He is a law unto himself. And Federer has another match point. It's match point number eight. Close but the right call. No but in a way the line judge and the umpire did us a favor because we'd been robbed of some terrific stuff 10 minutes after Federer won the match for the first time. So we won't talk too much but just say what a wonderful human being he is. Well not just a great tennis player but the way he knew that ball was out. The way he came back after that to recharge Safin was outstanding. That's why he's the best role model there is. Not only in the way that he plays the game but in the way that he carries himself and didn't we see it all in that match.