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Post by getta on Aug 4, 2010 8:40:40 GMT -5
Marcos gave a short interview for ATP World Tour ahead of his campaign in Washington (August 2010).www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Media/Videos/2010/08/Washington-2010-Marcos-Baghdatis.aspxMarcos Baghdatis: "We are working with my coach to play better in the future. My game is going slowly-slowly upwards, I'm feeling good, we are working hard with my coach. So, now it's a matter of time of winning two or three matches and getting the confidence back and I think if I do that I will not have problems playing well."
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Post by getta on Aug 4, 2010 21:14:13 GMT -5
www.thedailyforehand.com/2010/8/4/1604339/marcos-baghdatis-interviewThe Daily Forehand Talks to Marcos Baghdatis by Ben Rothenberg on Aug 4, 2010 12:01 AM EDTMarcos Baghdatis (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) WASHINGTON--Playing doubles for the first time since February, Marcos Baghdatis paired with Stanislas Wawrinka for an impressive win over recent Wimbledon finalists Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau, in front of a huge crowd at the Stadium Court of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C. After the match, I caught up with Marcos and discussed scheduling, playing doubles, what it's like to be the lone Cypriot on tour, and the always-touchy questions about his fitness level that have dogged him throughout his roller-coaster career. * * * TDF: This is your first time playing Washington--what made you decide to play here this year?Marcos Baghdatis: I heard it was a great tournament from the other players, so I decided to try it out, and it seems very nice. The fans like the sport, so it's nice when you come to a tournament like that. The courts are great--great facilities to practice, great facilities to play. So yeah, for the moment I'm having fun. TDF: You had sort of a rough patch during the grass season, going 0-3 there despite some good results in the past. What do you think happened with that this year?Marcos Baghdatis: Yeah, you know, I was a bit tired. I played too much in the beginning of the year. I played 18 tournaments out of 22 in the beginning of the year, which is too much. So I was a bit tired, yeah, but I'm not worried about that. It's in the past, I'm looking at the present, and the future. TDF: You're playing doubles here with Stan Wawrinka, playing doubles for the first time in a while. Are you just doing that to get practice for singles?Marcos Baghdatis: Exactly. I haven't played on hard courts in a while, so just putting some matches under my feet, doing some serving, some returning. It's great. TDF: You guys played against a pair who are more doubles specialists. What's it like going out there against guys who maybe care more about the result, more about their doubles ranking, when you are going out mostly for practice? Is that difficult at all?Marcos Baghdatis: No, I mean, that's the game, you know. We're here to win also. We want to win the tournament, we want to win the match. And if we can win the tournament, we'll take it. TDF: You're from a pretty small country, Cyprus. What is it like being the only player on tour from your country? A lot of these guys seem to hang out with others from their country, where as you're sort of on your own...Marcos Baghdatis: It's not easy on the tour, you know? There's not a lot of people talking in your language. But I have a great team around me. My coach, we're very close. My physio, we're very close. My physical trainer, who sometimes travels with me, we're very close. So I have a good team around me. TDF: Liezel Huber, a South African doubles player who was #1 in the WTA, she switched over to play for the United States, ostensibly so she could have better teammates in Fed Cup and the Olympics, to help your chances there. Have you ever considered anything like that? Because being from Cyprus, you're sort of in a tough situation for team events.Marcos Baghdatis: Yeah, I'm in a tough situation, but I don't think I'll do that. It never came to my mind, so I don't think so. TDF: You started wearing the flag of Cyprus on your clothing, instead of Adidas stuff. Do you think you'll keep doing that for the rest of your career?Marcos Baghdatis: No, no, it's because I don't have a sponsor, so I just wanted to put my country in front--it's an honor for me to be a Cypriot. When a company comes to me, and wants me to wear their clothes, I'll take it. So I'm open to offers. TDF: You made the finals of the Australian Open in 2006--it seems to be a very special tournament for you...Marcos Baghdatis: Yeah, it is. All the fans, all the people, Australia. It's nice there, the weather is perfect. The people are laid back, I love it there. TDF: You're back into the top 30 now, at #25. Is it easier being near the top, where you're getting seeded and byes?Marcos Baghdatis: It's not easy, no. It's not easy once you get there, it's not easy to stay. I'll try. I have to continue the same way I'm working. TDF: How much is conditioning and staying injury-free part of it?Marcos Baghdatis: Yeah, that's very important also. But, you know, eh. TDF: I've heard several television commentators say that in order to contend at slams again, you need to improve your fitness some, to help your endurance and to stay injury-free. Do you agree that that's an issue for you?Marcos Baghdatis: Yeah, yeah, it is an issue. TDF: Is that something you're working on actively? Mardy Fish, for example, just lost a lot of weight and has won two tournaments in a row now. Do you think it could have that kind of effect for you?Marcos Baghdatis: Hmm, no. No, I don't know. ==================================================================================== Marcos didn't have a hard time describing himself accurately by giving truthful and genuine answers. ... and, he's not in the process of applying for American citizenship. Cyprus wins, for now.
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Post by getta on Aug 6, 2010 22:54:51 GMT -5
www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/12ed123c2/Article/Tennis: Baghdatis ready to compete in KL2010/08/07 Ajitpal Singh ajitpalsingh@nst.com.myMARCOS Baghdatis (pic) has fond memories of Kuala Lumpur. His outing at the Malaysian Open last year re-ignited his passion for tennis following his recovery from a lengthy injury. At that time, the Cypriot, a former Australian Open finalist, was trying to make a successful comeback in accepting a wild card to play in Kuala Lumpur. Though Baghdatis lost in the second round, he said the KL outing turned his fortunes around. For a few weeks later, Baghdatis ended his two-and-a-half-year title drought on the ATP Tour by winning the Stockholm Open. And the 25-year-old is ready to come back to KL again to compete in the Malaysian Open on Sept 25-Oct 3 at Putra Stadium. "They (the organisers) were very nice to give me a wild card last year. I'm delighted to come back," said Baghdatis via e-mail. "I like playing in Asia as the tournaments are on hard-courts. I won my first ATP tour title in China about four years ago," said the World No 25.
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Post by getta on Aug 7, 2010 0:09:24 GMT -5
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Post by getta on Aug 9, 2010 7:46:43 GMT -5
latest entry form Julia's inspirational blog Vamos David: www.vamosdavid.com/2010/08/david-wins-washington.htmlMonday, August 9, 2010 David wins Washington(Highlights by Andvari, recording by Krystle, thanks!)Playing only his fifth tournament of this season and the first one since April, David defeated Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 7-6(4) in just under two hours to win the title at Washington. It's David's eleventh career title, the second on hardcourt and his first ever tournament victory in the US. It's also the first title David has managed to win since having hip surgery. And the 500 ranking points he gained for it have now indeed taken him up 72 places to #45. In a match that saw two very different sets, David was off to the best of starts as he broke Baghdatis in the very first game and then consolidated his break to go up 2-0. After taking this early lead, David was able to mostly dominate from the baseline, once more hitting the ball very well, both on the forehand and the backhand side. And although in the first set, his first serve percentage only reached 42%, David was stable enough on serve to not allow Baghdatis any break points. At 4-2, David broke Baghdatis again and then easily served out the set to take it 6-2. The second set however unfolded very differently from the first - and turned into an extremely tight and dramatic affair. This time, it was David who found himself down a break at the start, after gifting Baghdatis the break with two double faults in a row. Still, he managed to break back immediately. David's following service game at 2-1 saw a total of three double double faults, an epic deuce battle and a total of 6 break points he all managed to save until finally scraping through to 2-2. And as is so often the case, after failing to convert those chances, Baghdatis now lost his serve, giving David a 3-2 lead. But it was short-lived as David now lost his serve, this time without an epic battle. So at 3-3, they were now on serve again and remained to be from then on. At 6-5 Baghdatis, David saved a set point and eventually managed to reach the tiebreak. There, David quickly went up 5-0 before losing 3 points in a row (2 on his serve). An unforced error from Baghdatis gave David 3 match points at 6-3, the first of which he wasted with his last double fault (the seventh) of the day. But David converted the second one as a forehand from Baghdatis landed wide. 7-6(4) (Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)David wanted to make a new start in this second half of the season. But that it would look like this, probably no one could've foreseen. Even if David has said that he was optimistic, having trained well in the last months. Now Washington, the more or less surprise addition to his schedule, has shown that all the hard work after surgery was not in vain, that his game is still there and that David can still win titles. And what a boost for his confidence, for his morale this must be. The matches last week showed some weaknesses, mostly his serve, which was far too inconsistent, especially yesterday. But I think what's more important is that last week also showed that he can not only win matches but also win them against players he struggled against in the past. For my part, I didn't really expect he'd make it past Wawrinka. Now, David has not only defeated him but also Baghdatis. But what most important, though easy to forget when things are going as well as this - David had no physical problems all week, despite playing every day. So maybe, that long pause after Monte Carlo really was the right decision. For those who missed the trophy ceremony (including that comment by Marcos Baghdatis and David's reaction), here's a clip. And here's Juan's (La Raqueta) video of David's post-match press conference. David now heads over to Toronto where, according to the tournament schedule, he'll play his first-round match against David Ferrer as early as tomorrow. Whether that might be too much of a challenge for David after this week and the title - we'll see. Posted by Julia at 5:57 AM =========================================================================== visually compelling clips and quotes there. yes it's a lot of work to set up and maintain a proper blog. awesome work as usual, Julia.
Marcos, classy in defeat and hungry for big wins.
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Post by getta on Aug 9, 2010 15:34:16 GMT -5
here's an interesting entry from Steve Tignor's Concrete Elbow blog at TENNIS.com: tennisworld.typepad.com/thewrap/2010/08/the-other-guys.htmlThe Other Guys08/08/2010 - 5:05 PM STEVE TIGNOR You remember that old Saturday Night Live video, Lazy Sunday, right? Two white guys go nuts on $20 cupcakes and rage their way through Manhattan. Well, this Sunday was even lazier in Toronto, and while I was certainly overcaffeinated, I had a hard time imagining anyone going on a rampage through the innocent merchandise tents and serve-speed cages at the Rogers Cup. It was gray and rainy here, and the tennis world was still looking elsewhere, to D.C. and San Diego. For most of the day, the closest we got to real-live entertainment was watching Ross Hutchins try to roll the court dry so his doubles partner, Andy Murray, could get in a little practice. (I guess if you want to play with someone in the Top 5, you’ve got to work for it.) Unfortunately, as soon as the court was dry enough for Murray to set foot on it, the rains came again. It took a photo-op to get the locals revved up. Canadian national hero—or god, or some previously unseen combination of both—Sidney Crosby presented Roger Federer with a birthday cake in the press room. I had trouble recognizing Crosby, a professed Federer fan, under a baseball cap, but that wasn’t the case with the people working at the tournament who happened to be in the room. Their reaction to seeing him was simple and uniform: They stopped walking, stood still for a second, and covered their mouths with their hands. With Federer putting off his press conference until tomorrow, and lots of other players escaping the grounds, I was left to contemplate the draw one more time. Looking past the bold-faced names and potential match-ups this time, what sticks out most is the lack of brutal and threatening youth on display. In part this is due to the absence of Juan Martin del Potro, who finished last year as the winner of the Next Big Thing sweepstakes. But scrolling down the names of both the Toronto draw and the current rankings, it’s clear that this has been a year of consolidation, of slight shifts and small up-and-back surges, rather than a year of dynamic runs upward. The tennis market has been stagnant, with no serious bulls or bears. We talk about chaos on the women’s tour, but the men’s hasn’t been much better this season. Cilic started strong, then went fragile. Querrey and Soderling moved in the opposite direction. Roddick lost momentum at the halfway point, while Simon and Nalbandian, talented former denizens of the Top 10, have risen from the dead. Isner and Gulbis got tired around the same time that I started to hear the term “Almagro bandwagon” cropping up—those are two words I never expected to be uttered in the same sentence. Davydenko, Baghdatis, Giraldo, Gasquet: The list of hopefuls who have risen and fallen and risen and fallen without ever getting a sniff at a Slam, is endless. This is what happens when you play in the aforementioned Extraordinary Age, in which two guys, Nadal and Federer, have combined to win an unprecedented 20 of 22 majors—you’re only going to rise so far with them blocking the way at the top. Players move up, hit their head against the ceiling, and flounder. As the game gets taller and ever more physical, will it also become harder to predict? Will Nadal be the last teenage Grand Slam champion we see for a while? This is an obvious trend on the women’s side, though no clear reason for it has been discovered. You never know exactly when the next all-timer is coming down the pike, but the names Federer and Nadal were known to all of us well before they reached the Top 10, or even the Top 50. As far as I know, there’s nobody of comparable buzz and promise on the horizon. The two players who have made definitive jumps in 2010, Berdych and Soderling, are both over 25 and over 6-foot-4. While it might make sense that a taller player would take longer to develop, there’s no evidence for it, mainly because there haven’t been many Grand Slam champions of that height, whatever their age—del Potro is the tallest ever. What may be easier to say with confidence is that the taller the player, the more erratic the long-term results. There’s more body to coordinate. There are defensive liabilities to overcome. And there’s still something a little unnatural about playing tennis at 6-foot-6. Cilic, for one, has shown these weaknesses, and none of the big guys approaches the fluidity that has made Federer or Nadal so consistent. Teenage champs on the men’s side have never been the norm. But at this moment, with the top sealed off, it’s even harder than normal for anyone else to make a mark. After a few years, hungry sure shots like Djokovic and Murray end up a little dazed and disappointed. (In his pre-tournament presser today, Djokovic, while he said he was re-charged, looked as subdued as I’ve ever seen him.) Former junior champs Thiemo de Bakker and Sergiy Stakhovsky spend five years in the pro wilderness before edging into main draws. A dozen other major talents come and go. Today I watched another former highly touted junior, Philip Bester, lose badly in the final round of qualifying to long-running journeyman Michael Russell. There’s always a Next, but only rarely does an older player make it "back" for more than a tournament or two at a time. Until the Next shows his face, or comes back from injury, we should keep celebrating the surprise wins and comeback efforts that we get from the Nalbandians and Baghdatises of the world. But we should also remember that they’re probably going to come from someone completely different the next week.=========================================================================== i like Tignor's writing style most of the times. i only start to get scary feelings when he gets too emotional and controlling for my liking. apparently, i prefer the cerebral style. however, here are two older entries on Marcos written by Tignor (for those who missed them) and posted here in time of course:
entry 1 (page 1, post 4, in this very thread) and entry 2 (page 2, post 13, in this very thread).
"... And yes, there was some less-than Spartan training over the years; he's still built more like a halfback than a tennis player..."
you really nailed it, Steve.
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Post by getta on Aug 20, 2010 23:02:57 GMT -5
ATP World Tour account on Facebook:ATP World Tour - If you can forgive him for killing off a possible Nadal-Federer Cincy semi-final, would you give props to Marcos Baghdatis as the most improved player in 2010? about an hour ago
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Post by getta on Aug 20, 2010 23:50:25 GMT -5
tennisconnected.com/home/2010/08/20/cincinnati-masters-marcos-baghdatis-quarterfinal-press-conference/Cincinnati Masters: Marcos Baghdatis Quarterfinal Press ConferenceAugust 20, 2010Q. What was the big thing you changed from the other six times you played him and you had lost. What did you change tonight?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I guess I served pretty big tonight. Much better. I didn’t see the stats yet, but first set I think I have maybe over 60% first serve. Q. 62.MARCOS BAGHDATIS: 62, yeah, with lot of aces, around seven to ten. So, yeah, I was serving pretty big. Basically I took my chances, and other times I played him I had chances and I didn’t take them. Maybe I’m more mature now, and I took the chances that I had to take and won the match. Q. On your second serve return, what were you doing to be so effective to win those points?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: What was I doing? Q. Yeah, what were you doing.MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I was more aggressive. I know that Rafa will not give me the match, so I had to go and take it, you know. So I had to, you know, get in and hit the ball harder, and that’s what I did. Breakpoint at the end, he made a double fault because of that, because whole match I was putting so much pressure. So he felt the pressure. Q. Was it difficult to close the match the last game?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah. I served pretty good first three points, and after, you know, started thinking a bit. The crowd went a bit louder, and start thinking. The fireworks were up also. I don’t know if you heard them. So, yeah, a bit of less concentration there. Yeah. But I finished it off, so I’m pretty happy about that. Q. Talk about the match tomorrow and Roger. Last time you played him you beat him. Is he more beatable this year?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah. I think so, yeah. He is, but, you know, I’m gonna concentrate on my game. I’m not gonna start thinking if I beat him or if he’s beatable or not. I think I’ll just go out there and try to find the solution to win like I did last time, just to play very aggressive, serve very well like today, and basically play my game. Q. Couldn’t get a better confidence boost before the US Open to beat the world No. 1.MARCOS BAGHDATIS: For sure. Played really good in Washington; made the finals. You know, I’m playing good; I’m feeling happy on court. I’m out of injuries. It’s nice when you wake up and you don’t have pain somewhere. I’ve been working hard the past year with my physical condition. Q. How long have you been on that level with no aches and pains?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Two years, a year and a half. So, yeah, it’s not easy. Q. On your serve, you saved six of eight breakpoints. What did you do when you were facing a breakpoint against your serve that helped you save it? Did you slow it down? Put different spin?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no, I just went for it. I just went for it. Q. Did you watch how Murray played him in Toronto at all?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no. You think I played the same way? Q. Sort of. You went at his forehand a little bit more.MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Okay. No, I think against Rafa you have to mix up the speed of the balls, you know, you don’t have to give him rhythm basically. You have to hit one and then play slow, you know. You just have to make him think. When you play the same speed he likes it and he starts to feel the game and starts to get the rhythm. That’s what I did today. Like I said, I also served very big today and that was the key of the match. FastScripts by ASAP Sports
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Post by getta on Aug 21, 2010 3:24:31 GMT -5
news.cincinnati.com/article/20100820/SPT/8210359/1062/Baghdatis-upsets-No-1-NadalBaghdatis upsets No. 1 NadalBy Jason Williams • Enquirer contributor • August 20, 2010 Marcos Baghdatis really knows how to spoil a party. It seemed that the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters was on the verge of two dream semifinal matchups, at least from a marketing standpoint. The all-American semifinal and the all-world semifinal. But the latter never materialized. The unseeded Baghdatis made sure of that, doing what he has been doing best this year and pulling another major tour upset on Friday night with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. With wins over three of the top 11 seeds this week, Baghdatis will face world No. 2 and defending Cincinnati champion Roger Federer in a semifinal match today. • Photos: Men's tennis 8/20Marcos Baghdatis, from Cyprus, kisses the tennis court after he defeated Rafael Nadal, from Spain, in their quarterfinal match at the Western & Southern Masters on Friday evening. Associated Press/David KohlThere was anticipation at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on Friday that Nadal and Federer - the two most dominant players in the world over the past five years - would play for just the second time this year. Prompted by reporters' questions after he won his afternoon quarterfinal match, Federer talked for a while about a possible match against Nadal, seemingly intrigued by the idea of facing Nadal in an American tournament for the first time since 2005. But Baghdatis, ranked 20th, has made a habit of changing plans - and Federer should know that better than most anyone. Baghdatis is the only player on tour this year to beat two No. 1-ranked players. He defeated Federer in a third-set tiebreak at the Indian Wells Masters in March, when Federer was ranked No. 1. Baghdatis doesn't think his past success will give him much of an advantage today against Federer, who is a three-time champion here. "I'm not going to start thinking if he's beatable or not," said Baghdatis, who is 1-6 in his career against Federer. "I'm just going to go out there and try to find the solution to win like I did last time."
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Post by getta on Aug 21, 2010 15:14:41 GMT -5
from Rafa's official site: www.rafaelnadal.com/content/baghdatis-wins-3-set-thrillerBaghdatis wins 3-set thrillerAugust 21.2010, Cincinnati, U.S.A Rafa Nadal is out of the Cincinnati Masters Series tournament after losing his quarter-final match against Marcos Baghdatis on Friday. The Cypriot beat Rafa in 3 sets 6-4 4-6 6-4 and will move on to meet Roger Federer in the semis. Rafa went into the match with confidence yet wary of Marcus’s power. After all, the Cypriot had knocked off three of the hardest hitters on tour since he opened play at the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday (Marin Cilic, Thomaz Bellucci and Tomas Berdych) and he was hungry for more.
Sure enough, once the match had started, Marcos Baghdatis delivered an astonishing performance and despite playing well himself, Rafa committed unforced errors when it mattered most.
"My game can improve, that's for sure," Rafa said after the match. "I have to keep working to improve my confidence with the backhand. My feeling with the forehand is good, but I still had too many unforced errors. For a lot of reasons, I played badly at important moments." THE MATCH Baghdatis opened the match on a tough note and survived a series of break points to eventually grab an elusive one in the tenth game to close the first set by 6 games to 4. Similar story was repeated in the second set but with a role reversal as Nadal took control this time to level the match at one set a piece. The decider turned out to be an absolute classic when both players brought their serving prowess to the fore to hold on to their serves till 4-4. However, that was the end of Rafa’s service hold streak as Baghdatis grabbed the break and the match with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The tournament's top four seeds -- Rafa, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray -- were all trying to reach the semifinals of a Masters Series tournament for the second week in a row. Of that group, only Federer won -- and he will meet Baghdatis in the semifinals.======================================================== seems that the World No.1 respects Marcos more than his so-called fans who jump up and down on the bandwagon... but Marcos is not that naive anymore, now he knows that everyone loves his clean-shaven look.
the question is whether these fans love Marcos when he's unshaven but still razor sharp, or whether they are just a very rugged population.
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Post by getta on Aug 21, 2010 16:46:44 GMT -5
www.gototennisblog.com/2010/08/21/cincy-report-nadal-not-upset-federer-cooking-up-a-semi/CINCY REPORT: NADAL NOT UPSET, FEDERER COOKING UP A SEMIBy: freakyfrites August 21 2010Ah, it’s raining in Cincinnati this Saturday afternoon, interrupting the Mardy Fish vs. Andy Roddick semifinal at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters. So it’s the perfect time to review some of Friday’s exciting quarterfinal action, which featured Roger Federer completing his first full match of the tournament and Rafael Nadal being upset by resurgent Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. (Is that an exaggeration? Sorry, I just like the way “resurgent Cypriot” sounds.) The following photos and report come from our gal in Cincy, Andrea Nay. Check out more of her work at Andrea Nay Photojournalism: www.andreanayphoto.com. Don’t Cry For Me, Cincinnati Andrea Nay Saturday, August 21, 2010Don’t judge a player by his pictures. Despite losing to unseeded Marcos Baghdatis 5-7, 7-5, 76(4) in the Cincy quarterfinals Friday night, Rafael Nadal is not in tears. “It’s true I had unforced errors, but the positive thing is I finish the tournament better than I started,” he said in a post-match press conference where he appeared almost cheerful. Rafa graciously complimented Baghdatis as well: “Just congratulate him. He’s very good person, and it’s very positive for our sport. I am happy for him. He had injuries and he came back, and now he’s playing well again.”Baghdatis had the crowd – and fireworks from nearby Kings Island amusement park – behind him as he out-aced Rafa 18-4. “I was serving pretty big,” he said. This was the seventh time the Greek Cypriot has played Nadal, his first time winning, and the result had nothing to do with luck. “Other times I played him I had chances and I didn’t take them.” And, this time? “I was more aggressive. I know that Rafa will not give me the match, so I had to go and take it.”Baggy’s reward for the upset win? A date with Roger Federer in the semis Saturday night. Defending champion Federer, who’d only played a total of 37 minutes coming into the quarters because of opponents’ injuries, powered over Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 in a match which wasn’t as close as the score. “I just tried to play offensive,” Federer said. “Mix it up, you know, make it hard for him to get any sort of rhythm. I was able to play really well when I wanted to.”Fed conducted post-match interviews in fluent English, French, and Swiss-German. Is there anything Roger can’t do? “I can’t cook,” he told a pair of junior reporters from Cincinnati.com. “I can’t even boil an egg.” Thankfully, he said, wife Mirka is an excellent cook, as is his mother Lynette. “I’m lucky to have them. . . . Otherwise, I’m making restaurant reservations.”Saturday’s first semi-final match will feature an all-American battle between best friends Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick.
Fish withstood on-court temps soaring to 108 degrees to knock off No. 4 seed Andy Murray 6-7 (7), 6-1, 7-6 (5) in a nearly three-hour match, the tournament’s longest so far. In celebration, he gave air hugs to all four sides of the stadium. “I was just excited to . . . beat one of the best players in the world in that fashion on that court,” he explained. “The crowd was incredible. Just wanted to let ‘em know.”Roddick reached the semis by outlasting Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5. What’s his strategy for playing his pal Fish Saturday? “I think we both understand that once you get in between the lines, it’s business, and we’re trying to win a tennis match.”Ed. note: Right now Roddick and Fish are just trying to play a tennis match, which may be coming off its second rain delay sometime soon. Federer vs. Baghdatis are scheduled for the night match.
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Post by getta on Aug 22, 2010 0:03:06 GMT -5
two prerequisites must be met before a tennis journalist/blogger focuses their bloodshot eyes on their beloved keyboard:
- journalist/blogger's home country has a rich and flavourful tennis history.
- journalist/blogger has exercised their enormous imagination's connective powers.
so then, here we go. ========================================================================== tennisisserved.blogspot.com/2010/08/four-weddings-and-fedunadal.htmlSaturday, 21 August 2010Four Weddings and a FeduNadalWe can be jovial about this. I went to bed - on a Friday night, With Nadal-and-Baggee on ma teh-lleee…
When I woke up, The whole world was shook up,
And Fed and Nadal but a storeeee….…or we can wallow in our grief over one of W. H. Auden’s lesser known works: The stars are not wanted now; put out every one, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and paint your house grey, Throw out the face-paint; there’ll be no Fedal todayAlthough, hand on heart, how many of you can really say you wanted it this soon? I know many will disagree, but for me their last meeting drew a blank. Like two drunk and disorderlies forced to patch up their differences at a makeshift charity do no one wants to attend. They’re both inching towards finding their form. Feds shown more flourish but also more confunktion. Rafa was roundly outplayed last night but is also the more steadier of the two. Give it another week I say, let them play themselves into more affable spirits before we once again force them upon one another. As for Baggy, you’d be a fool to ever doubt him. You’d be a fool to bet the house on him too but that’s part of the deal and, I daresay, the appeal. For some people. For others, just like that recent Fedal fail, he too draws a blank. Me, I’m in the middle. I don’t think his smile is tennis’s solution to world peace (Franny’s is) but I do enjoy his groundies and elephant-on-ice dance moves as much as I enjoy Nalbandian’s. It’s not often such impeccable timing, efficient weight transfer and fluid movement unite in one player. When that player looks more like a Highland Caber Tosser than a tennis player, it makes the spectacle more-peculiar still. Federer was sublime over Kolya. To be fair, in the first set they both were. The surprising thing this time, however, was Fed’s defence – if I didn’t know any better I’d almost believe he’s found the patience to sustain rallies under pressure. As I say, I know better. With that single break and that first set gone, Kolya began a spraying spree that almost certainly prevented this from going into a third set. Twas a shame because for one set we had the makings of what could have been the match of the week. No one should be surprised at Nole’s and Muzz’s departure. The only amazing thing is how long Muzz ,in particular, lasted in the heat. The good: He’ll get plenty of time to rest up ahead of Flushing. The bad: Mardy Fish might win the US Open Series. The ugly: CazWoz is seeded #1 at the USO (don’t expect me to ‘drop it’ any time soon).
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Post by getta on Aug 23, 2010 3:04:31 GMT -5
the-slice.com/2010/08/marcos-baghdatis-proud-cypriot-sponsor-hunting/Marcos Baghdatis: Proud, Sponsor-Hunting CypriotAug 21st, 2010 by a-slice.Marcos Baghdatis, our favorite Greek-Cypriot pro tennis player (pictured above after losing a point this evening), got some screen time tonight as he played (and lost to) Roger Federer at the Cincinnati Masters, 6-4, 6-3. Surprisingly, in spite of great runs this summer at various stops throughout the Olympus U.S. Open Series, Baghdatis still seems to be sponsor-less! It was reported in January that Baghdatis and Adidas had parted ways and that, instead of wearing a competing brand, he appeared to be covering the Adidas logo on his gear with the flag of Cyprus (see close-up below) and a “Love Cyprus” patch. Almost nine months later, Baghdatis’ situation remains the same: He is still a proud Cypriot in search of a new clothing sponsor. When he spoke with The Daily Forehand a few weeks ago [/li][li][/color][/sup], Baghdatis explained, “It’s because I don’t have a sponsor, so I just wanted to put my country in front — it’s an honor for me to be a Cypriot. When a company comes to me, and wants me to wear their clothes, I’ll take it. So I’m open to offers.” ============================================================================ [/li][li][/color][/sup] i posted this interview here on August 4 (this page, scroll down to the second post).
anyway, this topic has been exhaustively discussed, yet many tennis fans keep popping up for no reason. for instance i was obliged to defend Marcos here. seems that incident down under three years ago will never be forgotten, since some fans still believe that Marcos is potentially politically-connected.
as for the popular clothing brand, from what i gather i think Marcos will sign an exclusive clothing deal with nike since he's managed by IMG... hmm, i like adidas apparels more than nike, but as long as Marcos avoids any contact with Venus' clothing line eleven i'll be happy (Venus' Roland Garros outfit this year).
Marcos and Venus share the same manager in Carlos Fleming, should i be worrying about it?
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Post by getta on Aug 24, 2010 21:45:37 GMT -5
www.tennisdiary.com/2010-articles/december/gearing-up-for-the-open.htmlGearing Up For the OpenWritten by Pat Davis Tuesday, 24 August 2010 11:53Can any woman make up for the absence of Serena Williams in New York? Can Roger Federer end the year as he began it, with a Grand Slam win?It is still tough to think about Serena not being at the Open this year. I am more bummed than I thought I would be by this unfortunate occurrence, because when you look over the women's field, it looks more and more anemic. Henin is out, Clijsters' play has been erratic, Schiavone enjoyed her 15 seconds and then some of Fame after winning the French, then probably celebrated for the next two months it seemed, because her results after were dreadful. I think she only recently won a match. Wozniacki I still find hard to take seriously. Jankovic is maddening. What about Venus, you may be saying. What about her, I say back, feeling her presence more like that of a phantom now since she plays so infrequently. You never know sometimes which Williams sister shows up, the good one who's already in shape and practiced and ready to go, or the one who needs to "play her way" into a tournament. There have been a number of very entertaining matches on the men's side lately, most of them delivered up by Roger Federer, who seems rejuvenated (which is not to say he was ready for embalming) by the arrival of Paul Annacone to his side. The effect seemed to be immediate, I thought, as if Federer had had his finger stuck in a light socket and off he went, squeaking out really scrumptious matches on back to back nights, first in Canada in beating Berdych and Djokovic before coming up short against Murray in the final; then in Cincinnati in making his way rather easily through a draw that included Davydenko and Baghdatis. His win over Fishcakes in the final showed Federer in really good form, with a bit of room for peaking at the Open. And congrats to Mardy for another great run, now maybe we can persuade him to do this over time. He's the best Dark Horse pick for the Open. Personally, I like Federer's chances in New York; I still see Nadal struggling with the harder surface. I don't know if Berdy can survive two weeks of NYC; Baghdatis, on the other hand, may love it. He is playing well and looks to be motivated to have fun in the Big Apple. Robin Soderling could be winning a few more matches, but maybe he is positioned right for the Open for a guy now in 5th place. Djoker and Laddie I always have my doubts about, especially in their longer, funnier matches where the heat index gets brutal and the guys get cranky and hyperventilate and you wonder if the next breath will be their last. Roddick leaves me feeling more and more uncertain about his erratic play this summer. He played some terrific tennis last week in Cincy, then he played a few bad points in the match with Fish. Shades of the old Roddick creeping out? I just don't know how settled he is in his game right now. So I like Federer, and I think his goal of four more slams is realistic and will, god willing, keep him around for at least a few more years. Annacone has definitely stirred the kettle. But the women at this year's Open seem churned beyond belief now with the key withdrawals and the erratic play of the pack as a whole. So for them - and us - this could be a forthcoming adventure in chaos. I haven't a clue who will emerge from the formless mass. Shudder shudder.
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Post by getta on Aug 26, 2010 22:28:55 GMT -5
sportsthenandnow.com/2010/08/25/roundup-what-the-cincinnati-masters-means-for/Roundup: What the Cincinnati Masters Means For...Posted on August 25, 2010 by Rob York Roger Federer: One could point to Federer’s easy start to the week, with Denis Istomin quitting in the first set and Philipp Kohlschreiber not even picking up a racket, and call it luck. But, as Thomas Jefferson said, “I find the harder I work the more I have of (luck).” With a runner-up performance in Toronto and the win in Cincy, The Great Swiss has put forth his best pre-US Open summer hardcourt season since 2007, when he achieved the same results. He has not looked quite as dominant as then, when he steamrolled through Cincinnati and Novak Djokovic needed a third-set tiebreak to beat him in Canada, but he continues to compete well. Despite losing the first set against Mardy Fish in the final, Federer managed to hold serve throughout the match before finally breaking the big-serving American in the second to last game. He isn’t winning as easily as during the middle of the decade, but with Rafael Nadal playing uninspiring tennis at the moment, Juan Martin del Potro injured and Andy Murray yet to prove he can win 21 sets, competing well may be all he has to do. Mardy Fish: And that fact that Federer had to turn to those competitive instincts to win on Sunday showed how far his opponent had come. Now 29 (less than a month younger than the Swiss), Fish lost their first five meetings, taking just one set. But in Cincinnati he not only pushed the most decorated player of the Open Era deep into a third set, he improved to 3-0 against Andy Murray this year and 2-0 against Andy Roddick. Fish has always had the serve, the backhand, the return and the volleys of a top flight player, but in a game where top 10 players must erase all weaknesses, he had three: his movement, his fitness, and his forehand. Having lost 30 pounds since last year, Fish is now moving and striking the ball better than ever, and may have emerged as the best chance, not only for American tennis at the Open, but for attacking tennis in general. This is happening just in time, too, with the major with the slickest surface just ahead. The trouble with Fish, though, is that he’s gone into majors with momentum before. In 2003 he also reached the finals of Cincinnati. Earlier this year he got to the last round at Queens. In the majors that followed, Fish could only convert that momentum into second round losses to Karol Kucera and Florian Mayer. He should go further this year, and reach the second week. The trouble is, his next trip to a major semi will be his first. Andy Roddick: The American’s return to the semis of Cincy this week brought good signs, particularly with his narrow defeat of Robin Soderling, his second win over the big Swede this year. This was enough to end his brief stay outside the top 10, something that hasn’t happened to him in eight years. His 6-1 third set loss to Fish, though, doesn’t leave many encouraging indicators. Another sign of trouble: He hasn’t been past the USO quarters in four years. For now, his fans should be hoping he matches last year’s fourth round appearance, keeping his points and staying in the top 10. Marcos Baghdatis: Like with Fish, the Cypriot with prior fitness issues seems to have regained form, and was rewarded with a win over Nadal, an opponent whose game once left him flummoxed.
Unlike Fish, though, Baghdatis was unable to impose any kind of pressure on Federer in the next round. The 6-4, 6-3 scoreline doesn’t really tell the tale of their 70-minute semi.
Will Baghdatis be a consistent presence from here on? He’s come a long way since last fall, when he had to play Challengers to get his ranking up, but all that effort seems to have put him in a position where he can be simply brushed aside the game’s best. Rafael Nadal: The world No. 1 is, frankly, not playing like it on the asphalt. Despite coming in with plenty of confidence from a stellar European summer, he has not duplicated his form from 2008 and 2005, when he won titles in Canada. The good news is that he had less momentum last year and still made the Open semis. The bad news is that that result won’t be good enough for a player seeking to capture the only major he hasn’t won yet, and who ought to do so now that he’s in his mid-20s and is at the summit of the sport. His best hope is that, like at Wimbledon, he can face a tough match early to play himself into shape. We’ve seen him do that on the grass more than once, but not at the US Open yet, so I remain unconvinced that he can. Andy Murray: The Toronto champion appeared fatigued from his run there, so his loss to Fish in Cincy wouldn’t be that discouraging. With his play in Canada still a fresh memory, Murray makes the shortlist of Open favorites, but I can’t place him above Federer. Not until proven otherwise.
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