MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL
Date: 2007-01-11

MEDIBANK INTERNATIONAL

January 11, 2007

Marcos Baghdatis
SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES
Question What's your emotions right now, Mate?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Disappointed but happy. I'm disappointed because I lost, of course, but I'm pretty happy by the way I'm playing, by the way I'm fighting, by the way I'm on the court. I'm enjoying it, so there is a lot of positive things.
I guess I'm ready for Melbourne, and that's the most positive thing.

Question You seemed to have the match in your grasp the last set. Where did you see it go wrong?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Carlos played very good. When I was serving at 5-4, I started to gain with a forehand winner, had the break point, he just played an amazing lob. You cannot say anything much. He played very good today. He has a lot of experience, very good physically, and he's just playing great tennis.
So I cannot say I didn't play good or something. It's a game, it's part of the game, play good one game, another guy plays good one game, and it's just these kind of matches, there's just a small difference. It's just one point, two points difference. He played better those points, and that's all that I can say.

Question What was the problem you had with the injury time out?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I got scared in the beginning. I thought I twisted a tendon behind the --

Question Left ankle?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, left ankle, but the tendon, but then went up to the calf and slowly, slowly was getting better and better.

Question Any problems for the Australian Open?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no, I don't think so, unless tomorrow I cannot walk (laughter).

Question Did your shoe stick on the surface?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't know. I know, but -- how do you say, the heel --

Question Jammed?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, moved.

Question Can you give us a feeling now about going to Melbourne? Are you happy with how you've played here this week?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Every day is getting better, so I'm happy I'm playing some tough matches, two hours on the court. I'm spending two hours on the court, and that's important. It's hot, and I played two good matches. I think I'm ready. I'll just go up to Melbourne, I'll try to go tomorrow and do everything I can to get ready for Monday or Tuesday.

Question You haven't played Carlos before?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No.

Question Did he play as you expected he would?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah. He has a great serve, great forehand, moving good on the court and very aggressive. That's how I expected him.

Question You seemed to want to play the drop shot early on with a lot of success and kept using it?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I played drop shots when I feel like. That's not my game. At the moment --

Question So the ankle is all right at the moment, is it?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah.

Question You'll get the injury treated tomorrow?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Today after the press.

Question You had a slow start today. What was happening there?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I was feeling good. I was feeling the ball good. He broke me twice so fast. I made three forehand mistakes in both games, so it was easy. I made forehand easy. I missed a volley on the game point first time he broke me, easy volley and then he broke me, and then I missed three forehand winners the next game I was serving. So if the ball went in, then it was going to be 2-0. It just happens. With the head I wasn't really on the court. I don't know where I was, but I wasn't ready.

Question How do you deal with all these people after the game?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: What do you mean?

Question All your fans. Do you go out and socialize with them or do you --
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, I have work to do, I have recovery to do. I have a big tournament coming up.

Question You wave as you go by?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah (laughter).