AUSTRALIAN OPEN Federer wins men's title

He easily disposed of Marat Safin in three sets.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Roger Federer looked every bit like the world's top-ranked men's player.
Playing shrewd and confident tennis, Federer won the Australian Open 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday against a weary and frustrated Marat Safin.
Federer became the 23rd man to hold tennis' top spot when the new rankings were released today. He's the first Swiss man to be No. 1.
"What a great start to the year for me, to win the Australian Open and become No. 1 in the world," said Federer, the reigning Wimbledon champion. "To fulfill my dreams, it really means very much to me."
Safin, fighting back from an injury-plagued 2003 season during which the former top-ranked Russian lost his last six matches of the year and slipped to 86th, became a crowd favorite while beating Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi in consecutive matches.
Safin worn out
But 30 sets -- tying a Grand Slam record -- and nearly 21 hours on court took their toll. Safin put most of his energy into trying to win the first set and was clearly deflated when he didn't.
His famed temper flared, getting a code violation for trashing a racket after a double-fault. But by the end, Safin looked as if he were slogging through mud, his head drooping as Federer broke him twice in the third set.
The packed center court crowd tried to rally him on, but only served as a distraction.
"Don't give me a hard time," he implored as shouts of encouragement were mixed with demands for a more competitive match. "I'm trying my best."
When it was over, Safin managed a smile.
"I'm really sorry, I just ran out of gas today," he said.
Henin-Hardenne women's champ
Kim Clijsters didn't run out of gas, but she also wasn't devastated by her loss in the women's final to Justine Henin-Hardenne for the third time in three Grand Slam finals.
Clijsters badly sprained an ankle earlier in the month and had been in doubt for the Australian Open up until she took the court for her first match.
Henin-Hardenne retained her top ranking and has won three of the last four Slam events. She's setting her sights on the only one that has eluded her: Wimbledon.
Martina Navratilova made her last appearance at Melbourne Park when she and Leander Paes, the defending mixed doubles champions, lost 6-1, 7-6 (3) Sunday to Elena Bovina and Nenad Zimonjic, who teamed up for the first time.
Navratilova to retire
Navratilova, seeded fourth with Paes, has said she'll retire from tournament play at the end of the year.
"I'm not saying goodbye to playing tennis, I'm just saying goodbye to hitting the ball here," she said. "I've still got a whole year to go."
Navratilova has won 167 singles titles and 173 in doubles. She has 58 Grand Slam titles.