ATP Finals: Marcos Baghdatis - "Roger Federer is from another planet"
Marcos Baghdatis is for the Greek TV as an expert at the ATP Finals in London. In an interview with tennisnet, the Finalist of the Australian Open 2006 talks about his departure from the tour, the strengths of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem - and about Roger Federer.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Nov 13, 2019, 08:30 am
tennisnet : Mr. Baghdatis. You finished your active career as a professional tennis player this year. What do you miss most? -
Marcos Baghdatis : Certainly not the many jobs. Not the training. In addition I had many problems with injuries in the last years, with the hip about. That was not fun, sometimes I felt really depressed because I could not act the way I wanted. But I fought. And I'm grateful for finishing my career at one of the best tournaments, Wimbledon. I miss the audience, the fans, the atmosphere in a tennis stadium. That I can talk to fans, communicate with them.
tennisnet : With your finals at the 2006 Australian Open, you suddenly had a large following. Did this really start this year?
Baghdatis : I played a good year again in 2005 and reached the fourth round in Melbourne. But worldwide, the big attention only came after 2006. From this finale, more people followed me day by day. And also the tennis sport. I remember even schools had closed to watch my matches.
tennisnet : what has remained of it?
Baghdatis : I just moved to Cyprus. Many people, now 25, 26 years old, maybe a little younger, tell me that they had a great time because of me because they did not go to school because of me. The schools had big screens on which they showed my matches. It is really very special for me to feel this love from the people.
Apostolos Tsitsipas is a philosopher
tennisnet : Of course, your main focus here is on Stefanos Tsitsipas. What status does he currently have in Greece?
Baghdatis : Of course, basketball and football are still very strong. But I think Stefanos has changed the sports landscape in Greece. And also Maria Sakkari, who has a great personality for our sport. It's a big deal for the Greek community worldwide. The achievements make children believe that they can realize their dreams. I think Stefanos and Maria just give a lot of hope to many people.
tennisnet : Where do you see Stefanos Tsitsipas at the moment? What strengths does he have?
Baghdatis : His greatest strength is the self-discipline he has had since a very young age. He is very close to Djokovic and Rafa. That's the hardest thing in our sport: self-discipline. I'm not saying that other people do not have them. But Nadal and Djokovic are extreme in this regard. And I think Stefanos is very close. He also has a really nice game, an incredible forehand. He is very athletic and can also play aggressively on the net. His backhand is very good, but he does not use it enough from my point of view.
tennisnet : And the weaknesses?
Baghdatis : that's the return for me. Sometimes he loses matches because he does not find a way to return properly. Many people say, and I also thought that his serve was a weakness. But he wins many important points with his serve. But of course he has to improve in all aspects.
tennisnet : How do you rate the relationship with Father Apostolos? Stefanos said in Paris, his father talks too much ...
Baghdatis : Stefanos's father is the most important person for him. But his mother, who was a very good player in the Soviet Union, has a role too. They have trained his mentality, his body focused on what he needs these days. Yes, his father talks a lot. He is a great philosopher. But the things he says are very, very logical. I believe that Apostolos is great. What Patrick Mouratoglou does exactly, I do not know. But they should not change anything, because everything works well.
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Marcos Baghdathis - "For me Dominic Thiem is the next number one"
tennisnet : In 2006 in Melbourne you lost against Roger Federer in the final. Federer is still here and has won against Berrettini. How do you explain that?
Baghdatis : Roger may not be that consistent anymore because of all the things going on around him. But that's normal. For me he is from another planet. He improves every year, he only makes the right decisions. And not everyone can do that. He has always gone the right way. Of course you sometimes need luck too. But he only gets the greatest respect from me.
tennisnet : Dominic Thiem beat Federer here, though. How do you assess his development?
Baghdatis : I've said it in many interviews: Dominic has improved a lot on hard court this year. In the past, he never really made the breakthrough on this rubber. He went to South America, where he played and won on sand, but had little problems on faster surfaces. He has increased his footwork on hard court enormously. He took too many steps to get to the ball before that. Now he is much fluid in his movements. And more aggressive. And I like that because he is an incredible player. And that he can now beat the balls a little further in the square, makes a huge difference. He won three tournaments on hard court, played here so fast - for me he is the next number one.