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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 16, 2010

Marcos Baghdatis

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

M. BAGHDATIS/R. Federer
7-5, 5-7, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Where do you rate that?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Best win of my career. I think that says everything. Yeah, I cannot say I'm not happy. I'm very happy.
A lot of emotions are going through right now. It's the best win of my career. I lost a lot of matches against those top guys, and, you know, it's a relief to win a match like that after being out for two years, having some tough moments, you know.
You know, it's a great moment for me. I'll try to enjoy it.

Q. What do you think you did differently in this matchup than all the other ones when you didn't beat 'em?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I stayed there. I stayed focused. I didn't give a lot of points. At the right moments I was more aggressive, I can say, and being smart, playing very smart tennis, serving big.
I mean, I did everything well, because Roger had a great percentage of first serves today. One moment he was playing only with first serves, so it was really tough to return. But, you know, I kept calm.
I said to myself that the chance would come, and when it comes, I'll take it; that's what I did. You know, through the experience of losing to Djokovic in Dubai, having chances and not taking them, remembering all the moments that I had so many chances against these players and I didn't take them, today I took it. So I'm very, very happy.

Q. Roddick has said that the best time in tennis is the 10 or 15 seconds after a huge win. Do you agree with that? What went through your mind just as you won?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: The best moment is when -- I mean, when you hit the serve, and the ball, you know it's going out, it's a great feeling.
I don't know what went through my mind. A lot of things, I can say. But, you know, I don't know what to say. A lot of things go through your mind.

Q. You said you kept calm today; is that maturity? Is that growing up?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Experience. Experience. Experience. Focused, and, you know, know what you want, you know. I think I needed some time to understand those things, and I hope I continue this way.
I'll try. I mean, I have a great team around me now that believe in me that think that I can do great things in this sport. So for me, it's motivation, you know.
It's a big motivation for me.

Q. You fought off three match points tonight. Can you take us through those match points a little bit?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't even remember.

Q. Two in the second set and then you had one...
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I remember the moments, but I don't remember what went -- I mean, he missed -- I played -- the one I remember is he missed a slice long.

Q. A backhand down the line and forehand down the line.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah?

Q. Yeah.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Okay. So yeah. Thanks, Justin.

Q. Looked like you tweaked your knee when you ran to pick up a dropshot towards the end. Can you talk about that a little bit?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I just felt like my knee moved a bit. And I was not -- my knee was moving a bit when I step on the floor, so I wanted to make sure with the physio nothing is wrong. And he told me nothing's serious, so that's all.

Q. How's it feeling now?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Perfect.

Q. Roger said he wasn't sure whether he was too aggressive or too passive. How would you...
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Too aggressive.

Q. No, with regard to your game, do you think you were better with aggression or being passive? Do you think you were better today because you were patient and relaxed or aggressive?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Both. I mean, you cannot be aggressive the whole match. You have to choose the points that you have to be aggressive. You have to be smart. You have to change the game.
I think that's what I did well today. Roger was, I can say, a bit too aggressive. He was missing a lot of balls, and I was more calm than him today.

Q. Roger was saying that while it was a good match, the quality of the Australian Open was way better. What are your thoughts?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It's true. It's true. Today there was a lot of mistakes I can say from both sides, especially in the beginning, and not a lot of rallies, I can say, a lot of very good serves. I was serving pretty good, he was serving pretty good, so not a lot of rallies.
But I can say it was a different match. Completely different. There were more rallies, more points in Australian Open, tougher physically than today's match.

Q. In 2008 when you were playing challengers, what was the...
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: 2009.

Q. What was the weirdest place you had to go and the result you had in that particular period?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It was 2009. It was Pakistan. I went to Pakistan. The courts were really rough, very hard. Every time you have to make a step, you had pain everywhere. The balls were flying. Nothing -- you couldn't feel.
You know, I won the tournament by fighting, by mentally being strong, so I think that helped me to come back and, you know, win matches confident.
Helped me a lot. I won four challengers in a year, I think in not even three months, I can say, three, four challengers. So I think that was very important for me and was a great decision by me by my team to go play challengers.

Q. How high do you think you can go? I mean, you got to the final in Australia.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't want to put limits. No limits.

Q. So you can see yourself lifting a Grand Slam trophy?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yes, that's why I play.

Q. Talking about coming back tomorrow, this is such a great win and you talk about the emotions, but now tomorrow you have to get ready and play another match. What are you going to try and do to get ready for tomorrow?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: My usual routine: wake up, go play some soccer, go eat, and then prepare for my match by hitting some balls. And then go out there, have a great fight, and try to fight -- try to find a solution to win. That's the plan.

Q. Can you talk about the energy in the arena tonight? It was really a good buzz, especially that third set.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: You know, when you're on the court you don't hear much. You know, you're just in one goal and you just don't hear anything. You're just so concentrated.
So I think it was great. You have like flashes, but you don't really remember a lot, you know.

End of FastScripts

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