Majestic Safin turns back the clock to flatten Hewitt

The roaring Paris crowd provided music for Marat Safin's ears yesterday as the Muscovite powered to his first title of the year, outplaying Lleyton Hewitt, 7-6, 6-0, 6-4, thereby denying the Australian a bigger lead over Andre Agassi in the race to be World No 1.

Record attendances for the Paris Masters reflected the general buzz of excitement as the city prepares for France's Davis Cup final against Russia here at the Palais Omnisports de Bercy in three weeks' time, and spectators were rewarded with some splendid matches. Safin was wise to rejoice at the chanting of his name. When he returns to the arena, the court will have changed from blue, medium-pace carpet to slow, red clay and the boisterous crowd will have changed its tune. The Marseillaise is likely to be the least of it.

Whatever the outcome of the Davis Cup final, preceded by the Masters Cup in Shanghai, Safin demonstrated here that his awe-inspiring talent, which blew away Pete Sampras in the final of the 2000 United States Open, has merely being lying dormant. His display of consistent serving, punishing ground-strokes and all-round confidence was too much for Hewitt.

The Australian Wimbledon champion was magnanimous in defeat. Though disappointed that he did not finish the week with a victory that would have put him 118 points clear of Agassi instead of 88, he knows that he cannot be caught by the American if he advances to the final in Shanghai a week next Sunday.

The only time Safin looked vulnerable yesterday was on the occasions when he tempted Hewitt with drop-shots. While this may be a good ploy against the majority of players, the Australian's speedy footwork is renowned. The Russian was fortunate that Hewitt did not capitalise on the pick-up more often and, in one sense, Safin must be congratulated for instigating some of the most exhilarating points of the match.

It was clear from the start that Safin was in formidable form, but Hewitt did not allow himself to be intimidated. Broken for 1-3 in the opening set, he recovered to 4-4 and held a break point for 5-4 which Safin swept away with an unreturnable serve. Safin then dominated the tie-break, 7-4.

The second set would not have been a rout had Hewitt been able to convert any of three break points in the second game. Safin's forehand rescued the first, Hewitt netted a backhand on the second, and Safin volleyed away the third before going on to become the first opponent to take a love set off Hewitt since Sweden's Magnus Norman at the 2000 Italian Open.

In the third set, Hewitt hung on as best he could, sometimes desperately, sometimes brilliantly enough to win over many in the crowd who at times voiced a degree of undue hostility towards him, as though warming up for Safin in the Davis Cup. Hewitt managed to save two break points in the opening game and in the third game, only for Safin to crack his serve for 3-2 with a crisp forehand volley.

After playing his part in some thrilling rallies in the next three games, Hewitt received cheers of admiration for saving three match points when serving at 3-5, 0-40. Safin seemed edgy for the first time when serving for the match at 5-4, recalling, perhaps, the finals he lost to Thomas Johansson at the Australian Open and to Roger Federer in Hamburg. He proceeded to slip to 0-30 before winning the concluding four points, Hewitt missing with a cross-court return on the fourth match point.

Safin, who previously won the Paris-Bercy title in 2000, said he had begun to despair of winning a championship this year. "It's wonderful to win here," he reflected. "I had so much confidence, I couldn't miss, and the second set was just perfect tennis for me. He didn't expect that, because normally, after 7-6, you get an early break by Hewitt."

Hewitt, who has suffered from a virus infection in recent weeks, said he was pleased to have reached the final. "I'm just not match tough at the moment," he added, "and Marat's a tough player when he's confident and swinging out like he did today."

* Cedric Pioline, the 32-year-old 1997 Wimbledon runner-up, was in tears on the court at Paris-Bercy yesterday when he announced to the crowd that he had decided to retire.