Safin, who has set his sights on establishing himself as world number one this season, showed greater composure and fewer theatrics to defeat Novak 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.

Russia took clinched the Group A tie 2-1 with wins in both singles rubbers but a potentially costly loss in the mixed doubles.

Despite dropping his first set in a tiebreak, the often unpredictable Safin stuck to the task at hand and fought back.

When asked if the close-fought match was the sort he may previously have lost prior to his new resolve to try harder, Safin replied: "Yeah. He had opportunity. He was a set and a break up but I made the re-break very fast.

"So probably he just lost a little bit of concentration and I returned quite well.

"But I had so many opportunities to make a break in the first set. In the second set I had a couple of 0-30's and I couldn't make it because he was playing well."

Safin, who has fallen to number 77 in the world following an enforced layoff through injury to his left wrist, says he is determined to keep trying and maintain an even temperament in matches where he may previously have given up.

He said he had suffered some problems with his wrist during the first-round loss to France but had no further difficulties since.

"Yesterday I had some problems with the wrist but today it didn't bother me at all," Safin said.

The proof was in the pudding. Safin smashed 22 aces, many at speeds of well over 200 kph during his match and was on target with 76 and 96 per cent of his first and second serves respectively.

Novak returned well but couldn't quite close-out the match, converting only one of his 10 break points.

Safin's teammate Anastasia Myskina, who lost to France's Amelie Mauresmo in the opening tie, had earlier downed up-and-coming youngster Barbara Strycova 6-3, 7-6.

But she and Safin failed to grasp their chance in the mixed doubles, despite serving for the match, and with the scores locked at 3-6, 7-6 -- the Russians lost the special super tie-break used to determine a result 11/9.

That result means the Russian team must now not drop a set in its showdown with the United States team of Lindsay Davenport and James Blake on Friday if it is to advance to a place in the final against Australia.

The host nation reached the final when Belgian star Kim Clijsters was forced out of the tie and the tournament after injuring her ankle in the third set of her Group B match against Alicia Molik.

Clijsters' withdrawal mean the Belgian team was forced to forfeit and its place has been taken by Canada, which did not make the main draw after losing to Hungary in a pre-tournament play-off.

Australia was due to play the Slovak Republic later Thursday while Canada, which will again meet Hungary -- the first time the same two nations have clashed twice in the same Hopman Cup.