Baghdatis looking to bounce back

By Nemanja Bjedov

Marcos Baghdatis, who started his grass-court season with a first round exit at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle at the hands of Latvian Ernests Gulbis on Tuesday, is convinced he can bounce back.

The Latvian got off to a fast start by dropping a mere four points in his first five service games and he needed a single break of serve to claim the opener. The 27-year-old Cypriot fought back in the second set which was a mirror image of the first set. Baghdatis surrendered only four points in five service games and also broke his opponent once.

“He played well on the break points. I never had a big chance on them, especially in the third set. He served well. I do not think I lost match, he won it. It was not like any of the other matches have been in previous weeks,” reflected Baghdatis.

Games three and four of the decider proved to be the final turning point. Gulbis battled out of a 0-40 deficit at 1-1 and he also trailed 40-0 on Baghdatis’ serve one game later.

“I had 0/40 in the third set and did not take it and then he broke me immediately,” admitted the World No. 40 Cypriot who has yet to record a singles victory under new coach Croatian Zeljko Krajan.

“But I believe in myself. I am feeling great on the court. I am working hard and I am improving. It will pay off. I can get very disappointed, but I spoke with my coach and he took the negatives out of my head.

“On grass I can beat anyone, I am very confident … The ball stays low on grass and I move well on this surface, which not every player does,” added Baghdatis.

“I do not need to change my game too much on this surface.”

The Cypriot will stay on in Halle for a few more days before travelling to Holland to compete at next week’s Topshelf Open.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.