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Post by getta on Feb 25, 2010 14:14:49 GMT -5
Marcos won 7-6(5) 6-1.
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Post by getta on Feb 26, 2010 0:20:13 GMT -5
the fourth game of the first set had already finished when i started watching. it was 2-2 on Berrer’s serve. the two players hold serve comfortably till the seventh game. it was then that Marcos held three break points but was unable to convert them. another break point for Marcos in the ninth game which he gave it away too. Berrer was playing aggressive, taking his chances, but it was Marcos’ game that had greater variety… with Marcos changing his pace, hitting different spins, his shoulders turn… in the tenth game at 4-5, Marcos was serving to stay in the set… he hold pressure well, here’s a love game… Marcos’ first love game from four in a row… yeah, momentum is very powerful when it can be your friend… in the 12th game, Marcos was serving again to stay in the set… take Berrer another love game. so, Marcos forced the set into a tie-break and held strong to clinch the set with a beautiful lob.
second set: well, all i can say is that Marcos’ variety show had Berrer seeing stars… first game was another love game for Marcos… oh, and here we come in the second game which lasted 13 minutes… Marcos squeezed through epic battle with Berrer out there… if only it were so easy, Berrer saved five break points situations in this game, but his resolve and serve was finally broken as he buckled under Marcos’ game’s depth… it was then that Marcos started living up to his ideal self…
i think the rest is history.
and because it’s unfair to hide my feelings for shyness, just want to add that i was really impressed with Marcos’ strong effective serve yesterday and, mainly, his brilliant composure at crucial moments.
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Post by getta on Feb 26, 2010 0:21:40 GMT -5
Friday OoP
CENTRE COURT
Matches Start At: 2:00 pm Jurgen MELZER (AUT) vs. Mikhail YOUZHNY (RUS)
followed by F. Lopez (ESP) / T. Robredo (ESP) vs. S. Aspelin (SWE) / P. Hanley (AUS)
Not Before 7:00 PM Marcos BAGHDATIS (CYP) vs. Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB)
followed by C. Kas (GER) / D. Norman (BEL) vs L. Dlouhy (CZE) / L. Paes (IND)
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Post by getta on Feb 26, 2010 1:24:32 GMT -5
tennisworld.typepad.com/thewrap/2009/10/the-soulful-goof.htmlThe Soulful Goof10/21/2009 - 4:42 PM STEVE TIGNOR … I like the guy’s personality—is there any tennis fan who just can’t stand Marcos Baghdatis? (yeah, probably, now that I mention it)—but it’s his timing I miss the most. I watched Baghdatis play Novak Djokovic from the first row at the Italian Open two years ago. It was a fairly ugly match that was lost by Baghdatis, who seemed to be in a despairing mood, more than it was won by Djokovic. But from that vantage point, you could fully appreciate, get a feel for, the guy’s aptitude for hitting a tennis ball. By comparison, Djokovic’s strokes, which are viciously elegant in their own right, looked labored—the Serb didn’t connect as purely and compactly with the ball. Baghdatis’ shots had a different sound; there was an easy full power to them, like a well-struck drive in golf. Of course, Baghdatis lost the match. That was in part because he wasn’t as determined or confident a competitor as Djokovic was in those days, back when the Serb was still talking about becoming No. 1. But it was also because Baghdatis didn’t have the variety of shot of his opponent. I’m not just talking about using slice or taking pace off the ball; I’m talking about basic things like trajectory. Baghdatis does one thing so well—hit low line drives—that he rarely tries to do anything else. That can work against him. If his opponent likes pace, he’s going to get plenty of it from Baghdatis. If his opponent finds a groove, Baghdatis is going to have to outhit him, rather than give him different looks. And when his shots clear the net, especially on his backhand side, they clear it by inches and nothing more. … that defeat in Rome three years ago marked the end of Marcos’ era as a serious grand slam contender. will Marcos be able to cast aside his storm? from Nole’s official website: www.novak-djokovic.com/srb/video/video/2007/rome/djokovic_vs_baghdatis_R3_novak-djokovic.com.wmv
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Post by choupi on Feb 26, 2010 13:13:52 GMT -5
Marcos just lost to Djokovic after a fight that lasted 3 hours. Final score 6-7 6-3 6-4 for Djokovic. I can't believe Marcos could miss so many breakpoints....must have a bitter taste in his mouth now.
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Post by getta on Feb 26, 2010 20:56:15 GMT -5
www.barclaysdubaitennischampionships.com/News/Tennis/2010/ATP-Tournament/Day-5-Evening.aspxDetermined Djokovic Through To Second Consecutive Final Dubai, UAE by Press Release | 26.02.2010Defending Champion Novak Djokovic rose to the occasion in front of a lively capacity crowd at the Dubai Tennis Stadium on Friday, taking an energy-sapping two hours 55-minutes to overcome charismatic Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-7 6-3 6-4 and advance to Saturday’s final. Djokovic, who claimed victory in front of large numbers of Dubai’s Serb population, will now play Mikhail Youzhny, after the Russian reached his second final at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships when he defeated Austria’s Jurgen Melzer 7-5 7-6. It was the third consecutive match that the second-seeded Serb has been taken to three sets, and it appeared for a long period as Baghdatis would halt Djokovic’s bid to successfully defend a title for the first time. Djokovic was under pressure from the start, fighting off two break points in his opening service game, and although he broke serve twice, for 3-2 and 4-3, Baghdatis broke back each time in the next game. Baghdatis then took the tiebreak with ease, and had plenty of chances to take hold of the second set with a remarkable 11 break points. But he converted only one, to lead 2-1, and Djokovic quickly leveled at 2-2 with a dropshot. As the match reached a critical stage, it was Djokovic who came through by breaking to lead 5-3 when Baghdatis netted a forehand. The final set was decided by just one break of serve, and that came on Djokovic’s third break point when Baghdatis netted another forehand to give him a 2-1 lead. "It's incredible struggle again. Losing the first set and coming back. Playing almost three hours against somebody that keeps the ball in the court in the rally for a long time," said Djokovic. "And, you know, it was very close. Every game was on the edge, I think. "Still my serve wasn't on the level that I wanted it to be. A lot of double faults, a lot of breakpoints saved or lost or whatever, but a lot of breakpoints in general. So that is something that I really don't want to have anymore. When you have a good serve it gives you a little more advantage, free points, and mental confidence. I didn't have that in today's match. So I had to work it out with my legs and fighting spirit, I guess."
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Post by getta on Feb 26, 2010 21:42:28 GMT -5
www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2010/02/4th-Week/Dubai-Friday-Youzhny-Reaches-Second-Dubai-Final.aspxDjokovic Battles Past BaghdatisDubai, U.A.E.by James Buddell | 26.02.2010Serbian Novak Djokovic will attempt to defend a title for the first time in his career after recovering from losing the first set for the third time in four matches at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. The second seed defeated Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 56 minutes to take his place in his 28th tour-level final. He had already beaten compatriot Viktor Troicki and Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia from a set down en route to the title-match at the ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tennis tournament. “It was an incredible struggle again,” said Djokovic. “Playing almost three hours against somebody that keeps the ball in the court in the rally for a long time, it was very close. Every game was on the edge, I think. “But still my serve wasn't on the level that I wanted it to be. A lot of double faults, a lot of break points saved [Djokovic saved 13 of 16 overall] or lost. So that is something that I really don't want to have anymore. “When you have a good serve, it gives you a little more advantage, free points, and mental confidence. I didn't have that in today's match. So I had to work it out with my legs and fighting spirit.” Djokovic was forced to save two break points in the second game, while there were four successive service breaks in the first set. From 1-2 in the tie-break, Baghdatis won six straight points by exhibiting a brand of tennis that took him into the Top 10 for the first time in 2006. He clinched the set in 71 minutes, winning 45 of 81 points. The pair exchanged service breaks in the third and fourth games of the second set but at 3-4, Baghdatis squandered a 40/15 advantage. Djokovic grew in confidence, winning eight of the next nine points, to level the scoreline at one-set apiece. Baghdatis saved three break points in the third game, but Djokovic capitalised on two second serves to gain the only service break of the deciding set. “I'm tired definitely,” admitted Djokovic afterwards. “It's been a long week for me, but final is final and I have faced this kind of feeling and situation before in my life. I will rest as much as I can and get ready.”
The 22-year-old Djokovic will next meet seventh seed Mikhail Youzhny, the 2007 runner-up (l. to Federer), in a repeat of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament semi-finals two weeks ago. For Baghdatis, it was a question of what if? “I lost the match that I had in my hands,” said the World No. 37. “I'm really frustrated now. I was up a break in the second. I lost my serve by making some unforced errors. Then even then I had some break points so to break again. I didn't take them, and it's a bit frustrating. I was feeling good on court, moving well. And I had the chance to beat a guy who is Top 5, and I didn't take it.”
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