MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Andre Agassi put his fingers to his lips and bowed after going five sets with Marat Safin. He blew kisses to all corners of the court in what has become a postmatch ritual.

“You never know when it’s your last,” Agassi said. “So you want to say bye properly.”

It was certainly goodbye for the 33-year-old Agassi at this Australian Open. The defending champion rallied after dropping the first two sets but lost Thursday’s semifinal to an opponent who has fortified his game and is playing as if he were No. 1 again.

Safin, who upset top-ranked Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals, won 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6), 5-7, 1-6, 6-3 in a calm, consistent and powerful display.

The unseeded Russian ended Agassi’s 26-match winning streak at the Australian Open — an Open era record — and denied the American a shot at a ninth Grand Slam tournament title.

“It couldn’t go any better,” said Safin, the 2000 U.S. Open champion. “I think I played one of my best matches in my whole life.”

Safin next meets the winner of Friday’s semifinal between Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and French Open champ Juan Carlos Ferrero, a showdown for the No. 1 ranking.

Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters will play for the women’s No. 1 spot after winning their semifinals.

Henin-Hardenne downed No. 32 Fabiola Zuluaga of Colombia 6-2, 6-2, and Clijsters eliminated No. 22 Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, 6-2, 7-6 (2).

This will be the third all-Belgian final in four Grand Slams, and the second straight not to feature the Williams sisters. Clijsters is 0-3 in Grand Slam finals, including two losses to Henin-Hardenne.