MELBOURNE, 30 January 2004 — Marat Safin and Andre Agassi traded withering blows for nearly four hours yesterday until the Russian emerged victorious in five sets over the champion to reach his second Australian Open final.

Forty-eight hours after toppling world No. 1 Andy Roddick in five sets, Safin became the first man in five years to beat Agassi at Melbourne Park.

“I don’t know how to describe how I am feeling... I don’t know, I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head after the 7-6, 7-6, 5-7, 1-6, 6-3 win.

“That was one of my best matches in my whole life. I’m barely standing right now but you have to... you have to give 100 percent. I don’t have anything inside me right now but there’s not many matches to go so you have to give everything.”

Safin’s performance made a mockery of his world ranking of 86 — due to an injury-plagued 2003 — and tomorrow’s opponent will be only too aware he is back at the pinnacle of the sport.

A former world number one and US Open champion, Safin will play either Wimbledon champion Roger Federer or French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final.

“Either one of them can win that match, it is impossible to say,” Safin smiled. “But don’t worry about me, there’s two days to go, I’ll be fine, and I hope I have a great final.”

Safin’s heroics stole the show from Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters. The top two women’s seeds had earlier slotted into their allotted places in tomorrow’s final, ensuring a third all-Belgian final in the last four grand slams.

Second-ranked Clijsters overcame unfancied Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-2, 7-6 while world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne hammered Colombia’s Fabiola Zuluaga 6-2, 6-2.

Agassi had been chasing a fifth Australian Open crown, and on paper looked a strong favorite under Melbourne Park floodlights.

He had not lost at Melbourne Park in 26 matches — last a loser in 1999.

Safin’s record last year was patchy to say the least, winning just 12 matches and losing 11 in 2003.

But for three hours 42 minutes Safin threw everything at the American, soaked up every body blow clinched the momentous win on his first match point with a pummeling backhand pass.

“It’s a great win... to beat Andre like this, he’s a hell of a player. This is one of my greatest wins.”

Agassi acknowledged the Russian’s superiority.

“Marat played at an incredibly high level,” the 33-year-old said. “But I had my chances in both the first and second sets and didn’t take them. That’s a big hole to be two sets down and then the fifth was just a break of serve. “I felt like I had the momentum in the fifth set. Felt good about my chances at that point but he came out and played some great tennis. Well done to him.”

The four-times champion said he had every intention of returning next year for another tilt at the title, even though he will be approaching his 35th birthday then.

“That’s the plan now,” he said. “But you know, a year is a long time.”

Clijsters and world No. 1 Henin-Hardenne were thrilled to reach yet another grand slam final together.

“It’s incredible for a country as small as Belgium,” Clijsters said after joining her compatriot in the final.

Henin-Hardenne beat Clijsters in the French and US Open finals last season but knows that come tomorrow, past results or world rankings will count for nothing.

“When we go on the court it’s going to be number one against number two. It doesn’t make a big difference,” the 21-year-old said after thrashing Zuluaga.

“I’m not going to be the favorite because I’m number one. I mean, we played unbelievable matches in our career. And Kim is a great player.

“We’ll see what’s going to happen. It’s very hard to tell you what’s going to happen. It’s a grand slam final. That’s going to be another great moment in my career.”

Clijsters leads the pair’s head-to-head battles 9-8 but she will have to pick up her game after looking decidedly shaky against Swiss Schnyder.

She did, however, overcome the ankle injury which has hampered her campaign and should be in good shape physically against the number one.

“My ankle is not going to get any better. But the good news is I can’t make it any worse,” she smiled.

“I’ll just have to keep my mind off it.”

Henin-Hardenne said she too was feeling fit.

Federer to Lead Four-Man Swiss Team Against Romania

In Geneva, Wimbledon champion Roger Federer will lead of four-man Swiss squad for next week’s Davis Cup World Group first round tie with Romania, the Swiss Tennis Federation announced yesterday.

Federer, who faces Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferraro in the Australian Open semifinal today, will be joined in the squad by Michel Kratochvil, Stanislas Wawrinka and Yves Allegro.

Captain Marc Rosset has left out Ivo Heuberger and George Bastl, who were both in the party for Switzerland’s 3-2 defeat to Australia in last year’s semifinal.