Tennis: Safin wins Paris Masters Series

The Russian Safin banged himself on the eyebrow with his racket during a dive for a shot and needed treatment. He came back to take the match the full distance before claiming the win in three hours, 28 minutes.

Safin is now in pole position to end the year as world number 1 with the Masters Cup starting in just over a week. He holds onto the lead in the points race heading into the eight-man showdown in Lisbon. Safin, the only man to win two Masters Series events this season, won 434,000 dollars while Philippoussis, seeded 13th, took away 228,000.

Safin was hit above the right eyebrow by his racket during a dive for a shot in the seventh game of the third set. He lay stunned on his stomach for a few moments as Philippoussis came over to see how he was.

The trainer was called to treat a boxing-like cut over the Russian's right eye. The player was then examined on court by tournament doctor Bernard Montalvan, who applied a small plaster to the two-centimetre wound to cap around seven minutes of treatment.

Safin went back into action and went onto win the third set before Philippoussis squared the match by taking the fourth with a break in the sixth game. dpa bs dh

(sda)