<h5>Points won by each set: | 29-20, 41-36, 30-27 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
46 % Federer – 42 of 90
34 % Safin – 32 of 93

<em>"It'd be too difficult to beat him"</em> Safin [75] admitted before the match. In the years 2007-08 he was in a rather poor form, so his first advancement to the Wimbledon semifinal was unexpected, yet fully deserved because in the second round he ousted an Aussie Open '08 champion – Djokovic. Federer [1] played that semifinal in very defensive mode (only 3/10 at the net), he didn't need to do anything spectacular because the Russian had big problem to return also his second serves. Tge Swiss broke Safin's first and last service games, the tie-break won 7/3 thanks to Safin's backhand errors. Almost a repeat of their third round at Wimbledon a year before which Federer won 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 in four minutes shorter encounter.

<h6><em>Serve & volley</em>: Federer 0/3, Safin 2/3