At 2-2 and on serve in the second set, Safin was broken when he hit two backhands into the net. For the first time in the match he showed some emotion, yelling into a towel and then swinging wildly as if he was going to smash his racket to the court.
Two games later, an increasingly frustrated Safin succeeded in smashing his racket when he double-faulted to set up break point. Morrissey gave Safin a code violation for racket abuse, and Federer's long forehand put the game back to deuce.
Safin held with his second ace of the match.
Federer held to go up 5-3. With Safin serving to stay in the set, the Russian again double-faulted, yelling loudly to himself as he fell behind 15-30. Safin eventually fought off two set points and, later in the same game, lined up on the ad side of the court instead of the deuce to serve. Both players smiled at the mistake.
Safin saved another set point in the ninth game before holding on a service winner. Federer then held on his own serve to take the 40-minute second set.
Safin matched American Harold Solomon's record of 30 sets for a Grand Slam tournament set in the 1976 French Open. Solomon lost the final at Roland Garros in four sets to Adriano Panatta.
Safin was injured most of last year and did not win a match after May. His ranking slipped to 66, the first time since 1997 that he finished outside the top 50. His ranking will rise to the top 35 next week.
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