When tennis fans remember the 2000 US Open they will undoubtedly acknowledge a star was born.

The tournament when, on a sultry September evening, a 20-year-old young pretender came of age and proved his calibre beyond any doubt.

The turnaround in Marat Safin's form has been quite remarkable this season - he endured a disastrous start and following his second round defeat at Indian Wells in March said he was considering giving up the game.

The endearing speech he gave after winning the US Open title, in which he admitted to being nervous before the match, will have surprised many who consider him a moody character.

The Moscow-born, Spanish trained champion, started the year by losing his opening match in his first five tournaments and seven of the first nine.

In the Australian Open, he was fined for tanking his opening-round match and he reached a low point at Indian Wells.

However, it is not difficult to see where his steely resolve on the court comes from.

He explained: "My confidence came. I just found it in two days, three days. I don't want to lose it now."

His route to the final was not an easy one - he struggled through two five-set matches including a fifth-set tiebreaker against Sebastien Grosjean

He said: "I found my game after the Grosjean match because I was scared to lose," he said. "I just understood that I could lose here very easy."

Safin is the first Russian man to win this particular Grand Slam title and the third-youngest.

In what could mark a distinct changing of the guard Safin beat the man who ten years ago, at the age of 19, won his first US Open.

And Sampras himself acknowledges his opponent has the game to be a number one player.

He said: "I got steamrolled today. He reminded me of when I was 19 and I steamrolled Agassi in the 1990 final.

"He is the future of the game," he added. "The way he played today, he can be number one for many, many years. He can be really dominant because of his power."

But the old master warned Safin: "He's going to be a marked man for the next year.

"Guys are going to be wanting to beat him even more now. But he'll handle it fine because his game is good."

Safin himself can hardly believe the change in his fortunes.

He admitted: "I think about quitting tennis in Indian Wells, and now I won the US Open.

"Before I was thinking to just stay in the top 20, then maybe I can go to the top 15. Now I'm thinking about being number one in the world. I have a big chance, so that's a big difference."

Judging by his performance at Flushing Meadows, Marat Safin's first Grand Slam title is unlikely to be his last.