Roddick out!

Top seed Andy Roddick and Marat Safin collided head-on at Melbourne Park on Tuesday and after five riveting sets the American bounced off an...

Top seed Andy Roddick and Marat Safin collided head-on at Melbourne Park on Tuesday and after five riveting sets the American bounced off an impregnable wall of Russian brawn and out of the Australian Open. Safin’s lowly world ranking of 86, due to a year of injuries, proved irrelevant as he won their quarter-final meeting 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4.

“Thank you everyone,” the popular Russian grinned to the crowd on his 24th birthday. “Thanks for all your support.”

World No.1 Roddick was stunned. “He played well, he played great tonight. I have to just suck it up and give credit to him,” he said.

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Safin’s reward is a semi-final against Andre Agassi, after a groin strain to his French opponent Sebastien Grosjean had earlier allowed the defending champion to advance with the score at 6-2, 2-0.

France’s misery was complete with Grosjean’s withdrawal. Women’s fourth seed Amelie Mauresmo had earlier been forced to admit she could not play her match against Columbia’s Fabiola Zuluaga because of a back injury. The Frenchwoman was inconsolable and the tears flowed freely throughout the morning press meet.

Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne’s superior fitness, patience and self-belief lifted her past a sluggish Lindsay Davenport. Having taken an early 4-0 lead, American Davenport wilted under the Melbourne sun, losing 7-5, 6-3.

Although Safin is a former world No. 1 and reached the final here in 2002, his victory over US Open champion and top seed Roddick ranks as the upset of the tournament so far. Safin has said he wants to finish the year ranked No.1, but he has been very much an unknown quantity since missing much of last year.

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On Tuesday, his ability and power was there for all to see. “I started to miss tennis actually, that’s why I’m playing so good,” he said. “But I’m back now, that’s the most important thing.”

That fact will not be lost on Roddick who appeared stunned by the defeat and left the court with cheers for Safin ringing in his ears.

“I actually think I was lucky to win the fourth set but was better in the fifth,” Roddick said. “He just took his chances and that was the difference. People think of Marat and they think he is temperamental, and he is those things.”

Agassi’s progress was far less noteworthy, a factor he freely acknowledged. “You know, it’s not a good way for anything to end,” said the fourth seed after extending his unbeaten run at Melbourne Park to 26 matches. I would have preferred to finish the match, no question. You just don’t want any match to end that way.”(Reuters)