Federer and Nadal rivalry is greatest ever, says Safin

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

LONDON (AFP) — Marat Safin, one of the few current players to have tasted Grand Slam success, believes the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will go down as the greatest in the history of tennis.

The Russian's shock run to the Wimbledon semi-finals ended in a straight sets defeat to five-time champion Federer, but even that failed to dampen his enthusiasm for a sport many people believed had left him behind.

The 28-year-old, a former world number one and Australian and US Open winner, insists that the Federer-Nadal story is an intriguing blockbuster, more gripping even than the acclaimed rivalry between Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

"It's interesting to see because everything depends on the tactics," said Safin.

"Clay courts are just...