Marcos Baghdatis def. Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3
Q. How did it go
today? Do you think
you're getting much
sharper or not?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Sorry?
Q. Are you
getting your
sharpness back
again?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Yeah. I played in
Halle good, but
coming in Wimbledon
a bit stressful in
the beginning.
Didn't have so much
hit on the Wimbledon
grass. It's a bit
slower than the
Aorangi, for sure,
but I'm pretty happy
with the way I was
playing on the
baseline, returning.
Not so happy the way
I served. Not a good
percentage of first
serve in. But I'm
pretty happy for
winning, and I have
a second round match
to play against
Thomas, I think. So
I'm pretty happy I'm
in the second round,
that's for sure.
Q. You're a
guy who's very aware
of good vibrations
and a guy who's very
aware of the
emotional situation.
Coming back to
Wimbledon, you have
a lot of good
memories here, so
when you walk back
on this court and
this club, does your
tennis suddenly get
better, too, do you
think?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It
feels good to be
playing back here.
To be playing on
grass it feels very
good, for sure. It's
one of my favorite
surfaces, if not my
favorite one. But
for sure it feels
good.
Q. How does
Wimbledon compare to
Melbourne?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Melbourne is the
greatest tournament
for me. Why? Because
of the atmosphere
around it, not only
by the Greeks, but
all the countries.
The Swedish are very
good at that. It's a
different atmosphere
than here and other
tournaments.
Q. What is
your view of the
restrictions this
year on the number
of people a player
can have with him in
the locker room? I
understand it's only
one person. Only one
coach may come with
you. Do you have an
opinion on that?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
It's a good thing
and a bad thing. The
good thing is we
don't have so many
people in the
dressing room. The
bad thing is that
maybe some players
need two people in
the changing room,
and that's important
for those players.
Even for me it would
be good if I have my
physio and my
physical trainer in
the changing room.
But that's the way
it is; we have to
accept it. I hope
maybe the
organization here
tries to make a
bigger locker room
so everybody is
happy.
Q. I understand
the main motivation
is a concern about
possible inside
information getting
out about injuries
in regards to
gambling. That this
would be one way to
safeguard the
integrity of the
sport, more so than
limit the traffic.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I
didn't get anything
that you said.
Q. I hope I'm
expressing it
fairly.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
(From translation.)
I think the ATP is
doing a great job by
covering that, and I
think it could be, I
mean, one of the
reasons, but I don't
know if it's the
reason. The ATP put
a rule that you're
not allowed to bet,
coaches, physios,
anybody, so I think
that wouldn't be a
problem if they come
in or not.
Q. How do you
build yourself round
by round in
Wimbledon? Is it a
question of
technique as much as
mentality?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
It's more I don't
know, some players
say they don't like
to play on grass
before Wimbledon,
not many matches.
Some players love to
play a lot before
grass. I mean, it
depends on the
player.
I like to play a lot
on grass so I can
start feeling the
ball, especially the
balls are getting so
heavy and the grass
of Wimbledon is a
bit thicker than the
other grass. But
like I said, I just
feel good on it from
the moment I step on
it. So it's just
winning matches,
getting through
tough rounds and
just feeling good
slowly, slowly.
Q. Is it
frustrating the way
it turns on a point?
I think you had
three break points
against you in that
first set.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Yeah, but that's
tennis . It turns
around from one
moment to another.
Some people like it,
some people don't. I
do.
Q. What's your
reaction from a guy
who's played Federer
many times to have
people say he's no
longer the clear
favorite at
Wimbledon after he's
won five times? How
do you react to
that?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: He
is the favorite. I
played him in LA two
weeks ago and lost 4
and 4. Playing
against a guy like
this on grass you
can learn a lot. You
can see what he's
doing well and what
he's not doing I
mean, what he's
doing so well to win
Wimbledon. I tried
to learn a lot from
him, and watching
him a bit makes you
learn a lot, what
he's doing so well.
But I think he's the
favorite, that's for
sure.
Q. Do you
think he's as good
as the other years?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Yeah, I think he is.
But the other
players are up a
level, so they're
more experienced
now. They played
him, they played
more on grass, so
they're maybe
working on the right
things, so that's
why.
Q. He's obviously
great on all
surfaces, but what
do you think makes
him that extra level
better on grass? Is
it the variety of
shot that he has?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Yeah, exactly. He
can do anything. He
can come to the net,
he can play behind,
he moves pretty good
on grass, and others
don't have I mean,
it takes time to
feel the movement on
grass. He does it
naturally, and I
think that's the
difference.
Q. Do you
think Nadal, also, a
little bit?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Yeah, he's starting
to play great
tennis. He won
Queen's. He played
great matches. For
sure you cannot say
Nadal is the
favorite, but only
put Roger as a
favorite because he
won it five times.
But I think it's 52
48 percent
difference. No big
difference.
Q. He made a
lot of progress
also, because he is
not so natural in
grass as Federer is.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
No, but he worked
hard. He accepted
that it's not his
best surface, but he
said, I'll just
focus on that, work
on that, and one day
I'll play better.
And he is. He's
playing very, very
good. He's one of
the favorites, too.
I'm not putting all
my money on Federer.
Q. I saw a
documentary during
the French Open
about the academy. I
assume you've seen
it, right? You saw
the one that they
did?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Yeah.
Q. What was
your impression of
it? Seemed like a
very realistic
impression of junior
tennis. Almost too
realistic.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I
think it's good to
see the way a
champion grows up.
It's really nice,
because they only
see the champion. We
don't get to see the
small kids that
suffer, the parents
that suffer, and all
the family that
suffers. There's a
lot of sacrifices to
do to become a
champion, especially
if you don't have
the money and you
don't have the power
to pay all the
coaches. I think
it's great. That's
why I accepted to be
in that film,
because it's the way
I grew up and the
way I became a
champion.
Q. Did you
feel it was a very
fair, realistic
perspective on it?
Were you happy with
the outcome?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS:
Yeah, very nice.