The 'almost' greats of men's tennis

2012 Australian Open - Day 6

2009 China Open - Day 8

3. Marat Safin

Russian dynamo Marat Safin, who stood a beastly 6ft 5 inches, was a devastating player during his prime years, well known for his backhand returns, two Grand slam victories to his name, with the most notable being his 2000 US Open final win against Pete Sampras.

Starting his professional career in 1997, Safin held the No.1 ranking for nine months between 2000 and 2001.

This talented Russian gave purists many fiesty battles to remember such as his Paris final with Agassi, his five hour-long semifinal Australian Open classic with Federer, and of course his memorable triumph against Pete Sampras.

However, he failed to establish his longevity in the game.

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