	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL

January 13, 2010

Marcos Baghdatis

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

M. Baghdatis/V. Troicki
7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Good hit out for you today?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, it was pretty good. I'm pretty happy. I served better than last time and was more solid, so it was a great victory today and I'm really happy.
With these tough conditions, it's not very easy to feel somethings, and I felt good. So that's pretty positive.

Q. Feeling even small improvements from your two games in Brisbane last week to here?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, more focus on the court, more positive, and start to the feel a little bit the tactical game, my game and movement on the court, my routine. It's bit of everything that's getting into place.
I'm pretty happy it's coming now. I'm happy that I made mistakes in the first matches in Brisbane, here not serving very well also. So I'm happy it came now and not next week, you know.
So I had time to work on them, and I'm feeling pretty positive and happy how things go.

Q. Will playing against Lleyton be another step up obviously?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, it's another level obviously. Played Berdych last week, and he played a great match. If Lleyton, if he wins today, I play him tomorrow. You know, I think he's a favorite. He's playing good and he's playing at home.
So I'll just go out there and try to find a solution to win. That's my main goal.

Q. After the rough ride you had in 2008, did you really have a chance to pat yourself on the back, because you finished 2009 so well after all the injuries? Did you feel like you needed to do pat yourself on the back, congratulate yourself?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I think it's always nice to congratulate yourself, especially after I had some injuries, some personal problems back home. So it was a tough moment for me, for my family, for everybody in my life.
So, you know, it was tough. Now I'm back. I'm in the top 50, and I think I'm hungry and want more and more. That's pretty positive, too.

Q. Can you explain your shirt. You normally wear adidas.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It's the flag of Cyprus.

Q. Is a Davis Cup shirt?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No. As you know, I'm a patriot, so I love my country. It's one of the things I love the most.
So, yeah, I just decided to put it because I have no contract for the moment. I'll wait until somebody wants to sign me. (Laughter.)

Q. Do you see similarities between yourself and Lleyton on how you're both trying to get back to where you were maybe two or three years ago?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't know. I don't know what happened to Lleyton. I don't really know. He was injured? He was injured too, so, yeah, he's coming back.
I think it's been a while that he's back. He's top 20 now, so he had a good year last year. I mean, yeah, I cannot say it's similar, but, you know, everybody has his own life, his on way of living, and everybody is different.
So I cannot say it's similar.

Q. From what you've seen of him, is top 10 realistic for him? He's getting on age-wise.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, he's playing great tennis. I saw a bit now. He's on fire, so I think he can play great tennis. It's just he has to keep healthy. It's not very easy, because a lot of guys now are more fit. It's a tougher, more physical game than before, so it's not that easy. I think you have to be unbelievable fit to get back in the top 10. That's what I'm trying to do.
I don't know about Lleyton, I think he's trying. He's a great guy. He's done a lot for this sport. I think he's working out hard, so I'm pretty sure.

Q. Do you feel you should be there too, in the top 10?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: That's my object, is top 10, top 5, and yeah, I have another seven years in front of me, seven, eight years in front of me. I'm trying to build up on my physical this year and not worry too much about results. Just try to work hard for this year and build up so I can have the next five years of my career in the top level.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297