Sunday, July 6 2008 -- Marat Safin is staging a comeback in the 2008 Wimbledon. The Russian is currently ranked No. 75 and pitted against giants like Federer and Nadal. His efforts this year has been tremendous and we would love for him get his happy-ever-after ending.

But the odds are against the former No. 1 who had Pete Sampras proclaiming him "the tennis of the future". He was dogged with a number of injuries that left his rankings plummeting to No. 104 in 2006. He had to find ways to get back to the top and this year at the Wimbledon, we might be lucky to see that spark of brilliance that he has displayed during his top years in tennis.

Fans might even wish for a Jimmy Connors-like triumph but unlike the golden boy of tennis, Safin has nothing of that universal charm that makes him appeal to a the whole demographics of tennis fans. No doubt he's quite good-looking and that earns him the adoring gazes of women across the globe.

People remember the Safin who smashes racquets during games and talks to himself in a mishmash of three languages. Watching Safin in the Wimbledon, however, shows a reformed and more mature player who is grappling with a possible triumphant return to the folds of tennis top rankings.

Marat is definitely an intelligent player using the whole of the court of the court to his advantage. He still possesses impressive footwork and deep strokes that can virtually demolish his opponents. Although he admitted to liking grass surfaces the least, he is obviously pulling out all the stops by reaching the quarterfinals in this year’s Wimbledon.

So whether he will win the title is very vague. Safin just needs to get to the semifinals now and the finals after that. Taking it one day at a time would be his best strategy. And when he does get to the final, he will face either No. 1 Federer (who has held the title for five consecutive years) or No. 2 Nadal (who has dominated the French Open and has footwork to equal his). We can only hope the best for Marat Safin.