AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2006

Marcos Baghdatis

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, feels great being here. I feel like home. I have 21 cousins here. So feels like home. From my father's side, Lebanese. I have some uncles here, and all the fans here make me feel like home.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love the surface also, of course. I played Juniors here like for four times and last year. I won the Juniors. Every time I come here, it feels great. I like the atmosphere here. And also the fans are helping me so much. I think it's a big help when you have the fans behind you and supporting you.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: They're saying that, Marcos, you're crazy with the white T-shirt. I will never stop singing for you. Stuff like this.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No. Yesterday with Stepanek, yeah. But I think he provoked it a bit, so. Anyway, I don't want to talk about that. I spoke to them and I told them to keep it down, don't say anything rude. Today they were much better. They were only singing stuffs about me. It's better, I think.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: My father was crazy about tennis. My brothers were playing tennis. My father wasn't, but, I don't know, he loved tennis. He pushed us into tennis. He put us into tennis. That's where I started loving it and started playing the game. Left from home when I was 14 to become a champion. That's all.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Sometimes, yeah, like the Grand Slam finals maybe sometimes. But not much. Not unbelievable. But we had Eurosport in the house, so used to watch that when I was a kid.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Man of the year last year and best athlete.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: (Smiling).

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, that's my character. I think you cannot change people. You cannot make them play like that. That's me, that's Santoro. Other players are different. I think you cannot change that. It makes me feel good on the court when I'm like this. I try to be natural, try to be myself, try to have fun in the court.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, very different. Yeah, it's true. I love his game. I love how he was playing. And what I love in Rafter is his look and his attitude and his fair play in the court. He is so charismatic. I don't know. I just find it very good.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, last year here. He commented my match against Robredo. The next day he came and told me, "Well done."

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Very important. I mean 'cause it's really hot there. Today was very hot. A lot of wind. Was tough to play. But I'm really happy I won in three sets. That's pretty good because I had a five-setter two days ago. I felt a bit tired. I have one day to recover, plus today. It's very important to go through three sets for recovery.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Just sleep, have massage, hang around. Just go walk, shopping.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no, no.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Too boring, yeah (smiling).

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: The sun was right on the ball. I couldn't see the ball.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yes. I just turned around and I found it in front of me. I just put it back.