Your not even here kick serv but you gave me this....
No.1 seed Andy Roddick has progressed to the quarter-finals without dropping a set, and while that is no great shock, the ease of those victories has been somewhat surprising. His toughest test came in the opening round where Chilean Fernando Gonzalez pushed him to a tie-breaker in the third set. Since then he has only dropped his serve once, defeating Czech Bohdan Ulihrach, compatriot Taylor Dent and Dutchman Sjeng Schalken.
While Roddick represents the new face of tennis, Marat Safin has been the comeback story of this tournament. The former world No.1 and 2002 Australian Open finalist, missed much of 2003 with injury, slipping to number 86 in the world. There is little doubt he possesses an incredibly powerful game and twice so far in this tournament he has shown he has the character to match that talent. After four-set victories over Brian Vahaly and Jarkko Nieminen, he looked under pressure when he trailed veteran Todd Martin two sets to one in the third round. He responded by taking the fourth set to love before prevailing 7-5 in the fifth.
He produced another memorable performance against American James Blake, responding when challenged to prevail in four sets with some brilliant and sometimes innovative tennis. He set up a crucial break-point in the fourth set with a freakish backhand lob, the racquet flying out of his hand as Blake was left stranded at the net.
Safin also has the advantage of having won the only encounter between the two, a straight-sets victory over Roddick in the first-round in Los Angeles in July 2001.
UPSET CITY: SAFIN +309 / 2 %
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