McEnroe tips Federer

"It would be a better story, in a way, if Safin won, after everything he's been through. It's sort of like a "no lose" situation, but I think Roger has the edge going in," McEnroe told Eurosport at Melbourne Park where's he commenting on the tournament for Australian television.

Safin ended Andre Agassi's 27-match winning streak at the Australian Open in an epic five-setter, thus earning his ticket to the final after an injury-plagued 2003.

"It's big for tennis that these guys are really playing at the top of the game," added McEnroe.

The American legend believes that the contrast in styles is good for tennis as Safin's physique is measured to Federer's technical skill.

"It's really nice to see Marat back here and Federer, I mean I've talked about him for years. He could be potentially one of the greatest players that ever lived. The way he plays, he makes it look so easy, but we all know it isn't. And Safin is such a great physical specimen that the contrast is nice."

Safin's own coach, Denis Golovanov, is pleased that the Russian has shaken a dilletante image:

"He worked really hard, most people don't see this part because it is behind the scenes nobody saw it but I saw everything from morning to night and he was running a lot," Golovanov told us.

"We didn't expect the work to pay off that fast," he added.

A sentiment echoed by his star pupil:

"I never expected that I would play so well after so many months off. It seems like it was a very good decision and whatever happened to me last year must have helped me a lot."

As for Federer, he knows what to look out for:

"He is very tall, I will have to make him run a lot," Federer told Eurosport.

"The most important thing will be being able to read his serve, otherwise I will not be able to break his serve. My own serve will be important, because he's one of the best returners on the Tour. A very good start to the match will be the key."

Whoever wins, Federer's lock on the world number one spot will far from secure, with the likes of Safin, Roddick, Ferrero, and even Agassi not far behind.

For his part, McEnroe relishes the uncertainty:

It feels like there's a real upswing in the men's game right now, the rivalries are coming and it's a real good time. So we need to market the players properly and really take advantage of this."