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WIMBLEDONJuly 5, 2006Marcos BaghdatisWIMBLEDON, ENGLAND THE MODERATOR: Good evening, everyone. We're going to start with questions in English. Q. Just about the time that people were starting to say, gee, was Baghdatis for real, where's he been, what's happening, you seem to be making a very big statement here. Can you analyze how that came about. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I mean, playing finals in Australia, I got some experience. Had some doubts in the middle of the year, some small injuries. Then just getting confident again, feeling the ball good, playing good tennis. Here I am in the semis of a Grand Slam again, especially Wimbledon. Q. You looked very emotional out there but your mother looked even more emotional on the cameras. Do you look up to her during the match? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, I mean, I look up to everybody in the box. There's my mother, coach, everybody that I'm working with. I mean, it's been tough for me, for my parents. Not tough, but, I mean, so many things came so quickly, and so many emotions and stuff. So I think nobody realize it yet, especially my parents, they don't realize what's happening. And it just needs time to cool down. Q. Do you think your mother is actually enjoying watching you, or do you think she finds it a bit... MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't really know. Ask her. I don't really know. I'll ask her for you when I see her later. Q. In Melbourne you seemed to have so many people that were excited to be along for the ride, supporters, Greeks and Cypriots. Were you a bit exhausted by the time you got to the final because it was such an emotional thing? Have you done things to keep things more low-key going into this one? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no, it's been great. Australia was great. There were really a lot of emotions, but it was the first time also. Now I have some more experience. I am more calm maybe on the court. Maybe after the match I'm more relaxed and try not to lose so much energy. Q. Guess it was nice this time that the crowd were supporting you. Did that help? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah. It's always nice when the crowd supports you. Q. You expressed such a tremendous joy out there. Do you think that's an asset? Do you think that helps your game out on the court? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I mean, that's the way I am. That's who I am. I mean, I love this game, I like playing this game. And, I mean, I just go in the court. I love playing in front of so many people. I enjoy it. That's all. That's the way I am and that's who I am. Q. Did you feel that from your earliest days on the circuit, or is this something that's developed? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no, I was always like this. I was always like this. Q. How comfortable are you on grass courts now? What do you like and not like about them? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I mean, it's -- I like grass courts. It's pretty good to play on it. It fits to my game. I'm playing really aggressive and stuff. There's nothing I don't like. So I pretty like it. Q. This has been such an incredible ride for you. What's been the best part? What's been the worst part? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I mean, the best part was getting to the finals in Australia, and the worst part was like not growing with my parents maybe, growing up with my parents. Q. You talked about confidence earlier. Going into this match against Hewitt, who was a past champion, did you think that you had it to beat him? You had some advantages in the second set which you didn't see through. Were there any points where you had doubts? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I mean, in the beginning of the match I just went on the court believing that I can win, of course. I beat a lot of good players this year and the years before. But in the middle of the second set, I start realizing that I'm, like, beating Hewitt. I'm one set up and two breakpoints up against Hewitt and I'm in the quarters playing for the semis. So start thinking a bit there, start choking a bit. And, I mean, the most important thing is that I got through. And that's the most important thing, so I'm happy for today. Q. You spoke about growing up away from your parents, it being a tough time. Could you recall those days for us. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Sorry? Q. The times that you spent away from your parents when you were young, you said they were difficult times? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I left when I was 14 from Cyprus. I went to Paris to play tennis because it was not possible to do it in Cyprus. So I stayed there for seven years, so I didn't see much my parents. That's all. Q. How difficult was it for you? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Very. I mean, it's difficult for a kid 14 years old to go into another country, doesn't know the language, alone, and just grow up in the family. So, I mean, you can imagine how difficult it is. Q. Who helped you the most get through all those difficulties? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I mean, I had the French family that I was living with. They showed me so much love. And also a guy, Mouratoglou, he really gave everything to me and he helped me find so many solutions. He was one of the only guys who believed in me. So, I mean, it's been great. All the coaches I had believed in me so much and they helped me so much. Q. Do you think you have a chance of winning this tournament now? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Why not? I mean, I'm in the semis of a Grand Slam. Everybody can beat everybody, that's what I think. Why not? Q. How are you feeling about Nieminen and Nadal tomorrow? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Sorry? Q. The match tomorrow, are you going to watch it? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Nieminen, they're playing tomorrow, yeah. I don't really know. I mean, I just took a shower and I don't know what's going on out there. I came here. So I don't really know. Q. It was cancelled. They're going to play tomorrow. You're going to get an extra day of rest. Is that an advantage? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Extra day? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's an advantage, of course. But, I mean, I don't know what to say. Q. How important was that service return winner in the third set, the set point, you had a big return? You lost a few points on the tiebreak in the third set and then you had that one chance on his serve and you really hit a big return. How did it impact on the fourth set, and how was it for your confidence? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It impact on the third set. I won the set because of that shot. Q. The fourth set? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: The fourth set, nothing. It's not that point that change the match, I think. That's not the point that change the match. Q. Which was it? What was the turning point in the match? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Every point. I mean, Hewitt is a great player. He doesn't give you a point. Today in the fourth, I don't know what happened to him. He got more tired and he gave me more points than usually. I took my chances and that's all. Q. What adjustments have you made, if any, to grass courts and the type of bounce you have here, the kind of surface it is? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Nothing. Q. You're playing the same exact game? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Just look at the ball. Q. The doubles match that lasted six and a half hours, are you aware of that? It's a record. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah. Q. What's the longest time you've ever spent on a tennis court? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't really know. Against Alan MacKin, I think it was 4 hours 30, 4 hours and a half. I don't really know. Q. Six and a half hours would be a bit too long? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, I don't think so. I'm able to play six and a half hours, but it never happen (smiling).
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