"He's going to be in the future top 10" - When Marat Safin described a 17-year-old Novak Djokovic ahead of the Serb's first-ever Grand Slam match
Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, if not the greatest. The Serb currently holds the record for the most number of Grand Slams won by any man, along with his arch-rival Rafael Nadal, at 22.
The World No. 1's illustrious Grand Slam career started in 2005, when he qualified for the main draw of the Australian Open with wins over Francesco Piccari, Stan Wawrinka and Wesley Moodie in the qualifiers.
The Serb's very first opponent was Marat Safin, who was seeded fourth in the competition. Speaking in his pre-tournament press conference, the Russian was asked about his opening-round opponent.
Safin saw a bright future ahead for Djokovic and expected him to reach the top 10 of the ATP rankings in the years ahead given that he had already signed a few contracts with top brands at the time.
"He's a young guy, upcoming. You know, he's been, he had very good results last year in the challengers. He's going to be a good player. He's already signed few contracts, so that means that the people, they're looking forward and he going to be in the future Top 10," Safin said.
"So he is going to come up with the great shots, great tennis, nothing to lose, and he going to go for it. So that's why, is going to be a huge crowd, so I don't think it will even help him. He's a big player, young, he'll be inspired by that," he added.
Safin further added that his match against Djokovic was going to be feisty, as first-round matches in Grand Slams usually are.
"So it's going to be a tough one. But I also know that the first rounds are always tough, and if you can manage to pass through them first rounds, then life will be a little bit easier because you already get the confidence, you just feel good on the court," the Russian said.
Safin ended up prevailing over the Serb in straight sets in the clash and went on to win the tournament to claim his second and final Major title, beating Lleyton Hewitt in the final.
Marat Safin won both of his matches against Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic's very first Grand Slam match turned out to be a one-sided affair as Safin thrashed him 6-0, 6-2, 6-1.
Their second and final meeting came in the second round of the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. Once again, the Russian came out on top as he beat the third seeded Serb 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-2. He eventually reached the semifinals of the tournament before losing to Roger Federer.