LONDON: Roger Federer’s Wimbledon waltz collides with the wild world of Marat Safin today as the volatile Russian looks to complete his All England Club fairytale and stop the Swiss superstar in his elegant tracks.

Federer tackles the former US Open and Australian Open champion in a mouth-watering semifinal with an historic sixth successive Wimbledon title tantalisingly within his grasp.

It should be a stroll. After all he is the world number one and top seed while Safin came into the tournament at a humble 75 in the rankings.

Federer has beaten Safin eight times in 10 meetings and has not lost on grass for six years, 64 matches ago. But he also knows that the 28-year-old Safin is the game’s most unpredictable talent; a genius one day, a joke the next.

Federer will also remember that when Safin clinched a shock Australian Open title in 2005, it was his title that the Russian took courtesy of a dramatic 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(8/6), 9-7 win in the semifinal.

“It was a great match and I went through unbelievable pain,” recalled Federer who will be playing in a 17th successive Grand Slam semifinal. “I was struggling with my feet and I could hardly run. I saw some highlights. I can’t believe how well we actually played, because I thought Marat was playing at his peak and I was playing almost as good as I could.”

Federer, an astute observer of the game, has nothing but respect for the giant Russian who stunned third seed Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the second round here. Since then Safin has claimed the scalps of three more seeded players — Andreas Seppi, Stanislas Wawrinka and Feliciano Lopez.

“I never look at Marat as a 75 in the world,” said Federer who has reached the semifinals without dropping a set. “That’s ridiculous and he knows that himself. He’s showing again what he can do. It’s just surprising he does it here at Wimbledon, because he used to dislike playing on this surface.”

Safin, who has been written off so many times, admitted he has even shocked himself. “I’m surprised I’m still here. I’m surprised I won two Grand Slams,” he said.

“But this is my first semifinal here. To beat Federer you need to be like Nadal and run around like a rabbit and hit winners from all over the place.”

Second seed Rafael Nadal, who has lost to Federer in the last two finals, faces either Germany’s Rainer Schuettler or Arnaud Clement of France in his semifinal.

The two veterans, who have made the most of the massive hole in the draw created by the early exits of Djokovic and Andy Roddick, were level at a set apiece when play was called off for the night on Wednesday. Nadal has a 3-1 record against Frenchman Clement, losing just once in 2006 while he has never met Schuettler before.

Four-time French Open winner Nadal, bidding to be the first Spanish men’s champion here since Manuel Santana in 1966 and only the third man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, has also had a smooth ride to the last four.

He has dropped just one set — against the promising Ernests Gulbis in the second round — and was ruthless in his straight sets demolition of Andy Murray in the quarter-finals.

Nadal took Federer to five sets in an epic 2007 final and had chances in the decider to break through. “Last year was close. Only one more point and probably I would have had the trophy in my home,” he said. “I am playing well this year, but I don’t know if it’s enough.”