During his one-and-a-half hour match against Kim yesterday, female fans in the arena kept taking his picture while loudly cheering him on. He has been a popular figure with the local girls since he arrived in Bangkok a few days ago.

But it turns out that the interest shown by the local girls doesn't surprise him.

Asked what he thought about the reaction of female spectators, the elusive Safin gave a rare smile and told reporters they should ask the fans.

"It's an easy question. You should ask them, not me," he snapped.

The 26-year-old Safin refused to be drawn on the subject and repeated: "Again, it's a question for them, not me," he said.

Safin, who is playing in his second Thailand Open, is sporting a new look this year. He previously sported long hair and wore it in a pony-tail, but has now shaved his head.

The fiery Russian split with Swedish coach Peter Lundgren last month, but didn't appear to need any help in his victory over Kim yesterday.

"It's been a difficult year and a difficult time for me. To choose a coach, it's difficult to make a decision now," he said.

Safin has been plagued with injuries over the last few years and crashed out of top 100. He's now ranked No 72 in the world. He said his priority is to get back into the top 10.

"That's my goal. There's no other reason to play tennis," he said. "My biggest priority is to come back and win some grand slams. To succeed, I also need a good draw and luck.

"That's why I'm still playing tennis."

Piyarat Setthasiriphaiboon

The Nation