Tuesday, September 5 2006 15:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: Marat Safin has emerged again from the ruins of his career at the US Open and once more looms as a potential threat to tournament favourite Roger Federer.

The enigmatic 26-year-old Russian produced his best tennis in months on Monday to trounce Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 and reach the fourth round.

And with a reasonably clear path ahead of him, the champion in 2000 could be heading for a possible semi-final rematch with the Swiss star.

That would have seemed unthinkable just a week ago when Safin came to New York in the worst form of his life having fallen outside the world top 100 for the first time in eight years. The former world No.1 split with coach Peter Lundgren and admitted he did not know where he was going with his game.

But a battling five sets win over fourth seed David Nalbandian did wonders for his ever-fragile confidence and Belgium's Rochus paid the price as the big Russian's wonderful shot-making skills came flooding back to him.

But true to form, Safin, who plays Tommy Haas of Germany for a place in the quarter-finals, warned his many admirers that disaster could once again be lurking just around the corner. "It's been frustrating really," he said.

"It's just that every time I've been playing well and every time I was in the top 10, I had one year, one great year, then I was getting injured and I had to start all over again.

"I really am tired a little bit of making comebacks," he said.

Safin's win also was a notable landmark for Russian tennis as it was the first time that three Russian men (Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny are the others) had made it through to the last 16 of any Grand Slam tournament.

The seventh seed Davydenko goes up against Britain's Andy Murray in a fourth round tie on Tuesday, while Youzhny will play second seed Rafael Nadal in the last eight on Wednesday.