Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis was once one one of the of the top players on the ATP world tour, reaching a career high of #8 in the world in 2006, and maintaining a top 20 ranking for most of 2006-2007, and some portions of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Due to injury, an admitted lack of commitment, and a general lack of fitness, he slipped down the rankings and for large portions of last season, and the 2009 season, was outside the top 100 and relying on either ATP wild cards or the Challenger tour for matches and points. In Atlanta last week, he reached his first ATP final since 2011, and his ranking and level of play is surging.
Baghdatis has always been an incredible talent and a joy to watch on court, his ground strokes remain some of the best pure ball striking in the men’s game, and his aggressive baseline play is always refreshing to watch given how much the men’s game has trended towards counterpunching and baseline defense in the era of Djokovic, Nadal and Murray. Along with the talented shotmaking he provides on court, his Greek-Cypriot personality of great passion and drama has always been a fan favorite, injecting much needed raw emotion into the ATP. This is especially evident in Grand Slam matches where his traveling fan base is always singing and shouting as he progresses.
Baghdatis keeps a cordial personality with players and fans alike, and has played some epic matches in his career, including in the 2005 US Open where he lost to Andre Agassi in what was Agassi’s final Grand Slam win. He also had runs to the 2006 Australian Open final and Wimbledon semifinal in what was his career season, as his game peaks on fast surfaces. He’s shown the ability to compete against Djokovic, Murray, and Federer, and when he’s firing winners, especially on the forehand side, he remains a danger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QphSmyH4Zw4
Baghdatis married within the game, as he tied the knot with Karolina Sprem, a former WTA player, in 2012, and family life has appeared to settle down the now 30 year old. Last year he put in roadwork on the Challenger tour where he won 4 titles, and with a newfound focus and balance, his stock continues to be rising this season, and could well be peaking during the US Open Series.
In Atlanta at the 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open Baghdatis appeared fitter and more motivated than he’s been in years as he posted four quality wins over Austin Krajicek, Sam Groth, Vasek Pospisil, and Gilles Muller, before suffering a leg injury in the final against John Isner. That final was his first since 2011 at the ATP level, and he holds four ATP titles in his career, the last of which came in 2010 in Sydney. Marcos also deserves credit for finishing the match while hobbled, rather than simply retiring and handing Isner the win.
Against Groth and Muller, Baghdatis continued to play his aggressive style and fended off their massive serves in tight three setters, also edging past Pospisil, who is a big hitter in his own right. His groundstrokes were quality and his serve was comfortable, but what was lacking in his game was the ability to finish off matches with mental strength, which seems to be what is holding him back from returning to the top 40 (he now sits at #43).
The conditions in Atlanta were unbearably hot, and Baghdatis ability to hold up through four wins is an excellent sign, not to mention the passion he showed on court, kissing the court after his semifinal win, getting the crowd into the match, and shouting at himself to fire himself up. That type of passion shows Baghdatis is serious about being a top tier ATP player again, and his career seems to be far from over.
At 30 he may not have the wheels that he once did, but he’s wiser, and his shot selection and training regimens reflect that. Players like Federer, Tommy Haas, Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, and Muller have all put together excellent results and seasons at 30+ and Baghdatis may well be the next to break through, for the rest of this season and into 2016. He has two ATP semis along with the Atlanta final, and a challenger final this season, and generally his results have trended positive, minus some blips like an awful loss to journeyman Alejandro Gomez in Bogota, where he choked in a third set tiebreak.
He had to pull out of the Citi Open this week in D.C. due the leg/groin injury but regardless look for (a healthy) Baghdatis to serve as a dark horse through the rest of the US Open Series, and possibly make a nice run at the US Open if he can stay healthy and continue to play with the passionate aggression that he’s so good at. Baghdatis has already shown the talent to reach Grand Slam finals, and it’s just take him some time to build back the consistency and focused needed to maintain an ATP level. The resurgence of Marcos Baghdatis, which was predicted by many at the end of the last season, finally appears to be happening, and check out his exciting matches while you can.
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