WIMBLEDON, England — Marat Safin, seeking rejuvenation after a disappointing 2007 season, put away his racket bag last September, loaded up on mountain climbing gear and embarked on a journey to the Himalayas to climb Cho Oyu, the sixth-tallest mountain in the world.
The moody Russian and former No. 1 didn't make it to the 27,000-foot summit, but he made it high enough to feel exhilarated. He scaled a shorter, but equally significant, mountain on Wimbledon's Centre Court on Wednesday, knocking off No. 3 Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, in the biggest upset of the tournament thus far.
Serbian tennis fans had a nerve-wracking day. Their two biggest stars — Djokovic and top-ranked Ana Ivanovic — struggled on adjacent show courts, losing their first sets. Djokovic never recovered. Ivanovic, on the other hand, felt "very lucky" to survive a 6-7, 7-6 (7-3), 10-8 match against 97th-ranked Nathalie Dechy of France.
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Their marathon match stretched 3 hours 24 minutes and Ivanovic staved off two match points in the second set. Well, she saved one. The net saved the other. Her shot clipped the net tape and dribbled onto Dechy's side of the court. Ivanovic kissed the net post after the match.
"If it wasn't for that net, I would be booking my flight back home," Ivanovic said. "I felt so, so lucky to be through because she played really well."
Safin had already checked into flights home after seeing his second-round opponent. He figured he would make it in time to watch the Euro 2008 soccer semifinal between Russia and Spain with Russian friends.
It hasn't been any easy climb for Safin since he fell from the Top 10 three years ago. He entered Wimbledon unseeded and ranked No. 75, and, in his words, "nobody expected anything from me."
Safin overpowered Djokovic from the start. The Serb, known for his fire and array of shots, reverted to the 17-year-old kid who was trounced, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1, by Safin in the first round of the 2005 Australian Open. He committed 28 unforced errors, and double-faulted 10 times.
"It was certainly a very bad day for me," Djokovic said. "I didn't do anything I was supposed to do. He was very solid, putting pressure on me. I was not finding my momentum. It's a straight sets win. I didn't expect it."
TV Today
• What: Second round
• When: 4 a.m.; 4 a.m. (Friday)
• TV: ESPN2
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