Marat Safin's unexpected run to the semi-finals, where he meets Roger Federer, is in keeping with a random, chaotic career.

Marat Safin's unexpected run to the semi-finals, where he meets Roger Federer, is in keeping with a random, chaotic career.

The Russian is a sublime talent, former world No.1 and two-times grand slam winner. He is also combustible and inconsistent. Safin came into this tournament at No.75 in the world, a ranking which Federer described as "ridiculous" for a player of his ability.

Safin once famously asserted that "grass is for cows" and took an immediate disliking to the surface on his first appearance at Wimbledon in 1998, when he lost in the first round. "It is not my game," he said. "Why play at all?" So it is ironic that Wimbledon has been the scene of his renaissance.

"S*** happens," chuckled Safin, when this point was put to him. There is a fine line between genius and nothing at all, and Safin has crossed it constantly in his chequered career. He held the No.1 ranking for nine weeks in 2000, the same year he won his first grand slam, the US Open.

Five years later, his awesome talent bloomed again when he beat Lleyton Hewitt to win the 2005 Australian Open. Over the past year, however, Safin has been abysmal. "I started to think I had lost it completely because of the way I have played the past year. I've been losing first rounds and second rounds and I was desperate. Then, all of a sudden, I started to play better in the clay season and the confidence started to come back."

Safin is always brutally honest and did not pull any punches when asked if it was possible to beat Federer today. "You win four matches and then you are expected to challenge Federer? I don't think so. To beat Federer you need to be Nadal and run around like a rabbit and hit winners from all over the place."

With Safin today, anything could happen . . .

The Diary reports fresh developments on Saltiregate'. This was an incident last week when two young Scots had their flag confiscated as they entered the courts only to be met with a sea of Union Jacks and Aussie flags when they got inside. Feeling aggrieved, the young men then contacted the Wimbledon authorities, who informally apologised. However, it seems the pair are now pursuing a formal apology. Andy Murray would surely be proud of such tenacity.