Beaten 7-6 6-4 6-2 by Swiss world number one Federer in last year's final, Safin has had a low-key build-up in his return to Melbourne after a barnstorming finish to 2004.

Fourth seed Safin scored back-to-back Masters series titles in Madrid and Paris to finish 2004 but has arrived for the Melbourne grand slam with little recent form of which to boast after losing his three Hopman Cup matches in Perth last week.

He is happy to remain in the shadow Federer and Hewitt, who crushed Czech qualifier Ivo Minar to win the Sydney International on Saturday.

"I have no problem with that ... Time will show who is going to be in the final. That's why I don't have any pressure," Safin said on Sunday.

"The people, they are putting them under pressure because everybody is expecting ... them to be in the final. It's great. Even better for me," the 2000 U.S. Open champion said.

Safin, 24, defied even his own expectations by reaching last year's final despite being unseeded, with his confidence at an all-time low and his ranking at 86 after a long battle with wrist and shoulder injuries in 2003.

"It's a completely different situation right now because last year it was the time that nobody expected anything from me," he said.

"Basically I was starting from zero. And now I'm back in the top five. I would like to move on, climb up a little bit higher in the rankings," he said.

Safin also reached the Australia Open final in 2002, when he was beaten by Swede Thomas Johansson, and he acknowledged there are greater expectations of him after his two final appearances.

"It's a new season, new beginning," he said. "So I try to do as best as you can even though it would be great to be in the final again.

"I would love to repeat it, even do better," he said.

While Federer and Hewitt both won warm-up tournaments in the past week, the Swiss in the Kooyong Classic, Safin opted for a more low-key approach by practising on Melbourne Park's Rebound Ace courts.

"I've been doing this for the past three years, and I like the idea to take this week off, you know, to prepare yourself, practise here in the facilities," Safin said.

Safin opens his Melbourne campaign on centre court on Monday night against Serbian qualifier Novak Djokovic, whom the big Russian described as a future top 10 prospect.

"He's going to be a good player," Safin said.

"He's a big player, young ... it's going to be a tough one."

• Complete tennis coverage
• All you want to know about Sania Mirza