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Post by choupi on Jun 4, 2007 11:41:38 GMT -5
The RG adventure is over. Marcos fought but Andreev's been really too strong today. He defeated Marcos 2-6 6-1 6-3 6-4. I've seen set 3 & 4. Big atmosphere on the Lenglen. The crowd was all behind Marcos who gave all he could. Congrats Marcos for this RG 07.
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Post by Heide Hugentobler on Jun 4, 2007 12:21:59 GMT -5
Too bad for Marcos, Igor was too strong today. Marcos is such a showman though, keeps the atmosphere lively and entertaining...love his smile! and of course, a good sport.
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Post by christos on Jun 4, 2007 12:59:16 GMT -5
When he took the 1st set, I thought that he'll win easily...anyway he did better than last year!
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Post by choupi on Jun 4, 2007 13:57:54 GMT -5
Well yes, he definitely did better than last year, so I think he can be proud of this RG. I just listened to his interview -waiting for it to be translated- and he said that Igor is a very tough player, and that he felt he was too short physically today, maybe because he didn't have difficult matches before. He also confirmed he'd play Gstaad, because he's got friends there, and he's always been told it's a great tournament. Stanislas Wawrinka is his double partner, so he decided to listen to him. He admitted he's considered moving to Switzerland........
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Post by Heide Hugentobler on Jun 4, 2007 15:14:30 GMT -5
wouldn't be surprised...Lausanne? ...Geneva?
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Post by choupi on Jun 5, 2007 1:33:43 GMT -5
Geneva.....Here's the interview: Q. I know you had not played before, hadn't played Igor before. His forehand seems to come from all different directions. Is that what makes him so difficult to play right now?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Especially on clay, his forehand is very heavy, playing really solid, and he is a tough player.
Q. It just seems like he doesn't telegraph the direction at all when the ball comes off his racquet. It could be going --
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Anywhere. Yeah, that's true. You don't really see where is he playing because he doesn't take it early. He waits for it, he picks you, and then he just slams it. So it's pretty hard.
Q. You look like you feel a bit beat up right now.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: A bit, you know, not sad, but I had my chances today. I won the first set; I was playing very good. 40-Love up, in the first game of the second set was very important; I lost that game.
And then physically I wasn't so tough today. I was a bit tired after the first set, I don't know why. Maybe because I didn't have a lot of tough matches this week. All of my matches were three sets. Then third set I start to feel better. I start to come in. I had some chances. I came back 3-all, had some breakpoints there, didn't make it, and that's all.
He's very tough to play because every time you went to win a point, he doesn't give a point. So you have to fight to win a point, and it was really tough out there.
Q. I heard that you were coming to the tournament of Gstaad for the first time. Why did you change your plans of coming to Gstaad and what do you think of Switzerland?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I like Switzerland. I have some friends there and I just wanted to go there.
Q. That's all?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I heard it's a great tournament. My doubles partner is Wawrinka, a Swiss guy, for the rest of the year, so I just decided to go there.
Q. Any memories of Basel, also, maybe?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, yeah. I played always good in Switzerland. Even satellites I won there, so good memories. Nearly moved to Switzerland, nearly. I didn't.
Q. Where to?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I was going to move to Geneva, but no.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.
Q. So what happened at the end of the first set?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Well, I played well. I had a good tactic; I was solid. But then I started having physical problems. I mean, physically, I wasn't that fit. Especially when I lost the second set. I started losing confidence, and little by little, he would -- he would be more and more present and score winning points.
Then in the third set, I was always one second late on the ball. My ball was not very heavy, and he would hit it back. I was feeling a bit better. I came back after 3-0, came back to 3-3. I fought. I had opportunities. I didn't manage to take these opportunities.
And it was difficult, because he would never give me any points. His ball was very heavy and you need to move all the time to run all the time and to be reactive all the time.
Q. He is a very difficult opponent to play because he has a great serve. He has a beautiful forehand, and it's difficult to play against him.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Well, yes, it's difficult to control the ball because his balls are very heavy, and it's very difficult to control that. It's along the line. I tried to play crosscourt, to fight, and I did fight. The only thing which is very frustrating is that after the first set, I started playing not as well as in the first one, and that's very frustrating. If I had won this game, I had beautiful opportunities to break him afterwards, then the match would have been totally different.
Q. We know you; we know how you play tennis. We feel that it took you time to react. Is it because of the way he plays?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Well, I also had a low, physically speaking. I didn't feel exhausted, but I felt late on each of his shots. When you hit the ball late, then the ball can't be heavy. So he was very much at ease with his forehand.
Q. Is it one of the most powerful on this tournament?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I have a feeling it's even more powerful than that of Nadal. He hurt me quite a lot with his forehand. And you never know where he is going to place the ball. And it keeps you moving from one end of the court to the other, and it's never easy. You want to start before the ball has arrived, has hit the ground. And you know, Santoro would have been very good playing him.www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/interviews/2007-06-04/200706041180978387609.html
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