"Of course, it is a bit better to not play and go into the final than play in the semifinal," Safin said, adding that he was going to devote his evening to watching the soccer game.
Russia's national soccer team faces Germany in Dortmund on Saturday evening, a month after opening their Group 4 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win at home to Wales.
On arriving at the Olympiisky Sport Complex three hours before his match, Safin was told Germany's Mischa Zverev had pulled out through injury.
In the final, Safin will meet the winner of the match between countryman Igor Kunitsyn and Fabrice Santoro of France.
The women's final pits world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic against Russia's Vera Zvonareva, who beat Safin's sister, Dinara Safina in the semifinals. The Serbian beat a third Russian, Elena Dementieva, in the other semifinal.
