After wasting one set point on a backhand he dumped into the net, Safin finished it off when Hewitt hit a backhand crosscourt just wide.
This time it was Hewitt who sought a massage on the thigh muscles that have given him trouble all tournament.
Safin, suddenly looking confident, rallied from 40-15 deficit as Hewitt served in the first game of the fourth set, finishing off the break with an overhead winner and a backhand crosscourt pass to stretch his streak to seven straight games.
It was the only break Safin needed, as he yielded only three points in his five service games in the set. When Hewitt hit a lunging forehand out at match point, Safin pumped his fist one last time in celebration.
Australia will have a man and woman in the world's top 10 for the first time in 21 years -- Lleyton Hewitt and Alicia Molik -- when the next rankings are released.
Hewitt will rise from No. 3 to second in the rankings Monday after becoming the first Australian since John Newcombe in 1970 to progress to at least the quarterfinals of four consecutive Grand Slam tournaments.
Roger Federer, who lost to Marat Safin here in the semifinals, remains No. 1 while Andy Roddick drops one place to No. 3 and Safin is fourth.
Molik will climb from No. 12 to 10th after advancing to the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park.
STATISTICS
The 14-day Australian Open broke the 500,000 attendance mark for the sixth year in a row, up more than 20,000 on last year. It also saw the highest one-day attendance in history when 60,069 spectators came to Melbourne Park on Jan. 22.
Celebrity visitors included golfer Greg Norman, boxer Kostya Tszyu, former LA Lakerscoach Phil Jackson, singer Olivia Newton-John and actor Geoffrey Rush.
Hungry patrons ate 31,700 buckets of french fries, 13,700 hot dogs, 11,714 meat pies and drank 111,000 espresso coffees. The tournament's 88 courtesy cars drove 340,000km.
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