Federer wary of Safin threat

By Martyn Herman

LONDON (Reuters) - When Marat Safin arrived at Wimbledon and looked at the draw he was already checking airline schedules for a flight out of London early in the first week.

Now he stands just one match away from an unlikely Wimbledon final after suddenly rediscovering the form that once took him right to the top of the men's game.

The fact that Roger Federer awaits in the semi-final spells trouble for the burly Russian but after wins against third seed Novak Djokovic, 13th seed Stanislas Wawrinka and dangerous Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, Safin's fans are starting to believe.

With Safin's blockbuster clash with Federer taking centre stage on Friday, Rafael Nadal's semi-final against Rainer Schuettler threatens to be a lop-sided affair if the rampant Spaniard plays as he did against Britain's Andy Murray in the quarter-finals.

It would be a huge surprise if Federer and Nadal were not on opposite sides of the net on Sunday.

Federer has yet to drop a set at this year's tournament as he chases a modern era record of six consecutive Wimbledon titles but he will be wary of the unpredictable Safin.

In 2005, the two players served up one of the most memorable matches ever seen at the Australian Open when Safin won their semi-final in five sets after saving a match point.

Safin went on to win the title against Lleyton Hewitt but since then his career has gone into reverse and this season he was reduced to having to qualify for Masters Series events.