US OPEN
Date: 2006-08-31

US OPEN

August 31, 2006

Marcos Baghdatis

The Moderator Questions, please. Question I would like to ask you when you had those heavy cramps, why didn't you maybe call for a doctor?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I couldn't. Question Why couldn't you? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I already called him. Sorry? Question You called him? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, at 1 Love in the fifth. Question Did you really hurt? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, I was acting (laughing). Question How were you able to fight through it? I mean, it looked like it's the end and all of a sudden you're hitting 127 mile an hour serves?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: When I called the physio at 5 4 when he came in, we had one that's the last time he could come on the court at 5 4 and give me some massage, some energy. So he gave me some energy so I could fight back.Question What was going through your mind during that whole period when you were cramping? What was your self talk? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't know, I just wanted to fight, you know? Playing Andre in the center court of Arthur Ashe, the last thing I want to just die on the court. I will do anything to win. That's all. That's what I did.Question And when the pain was coming on so strong through those cramps...MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I just couldn't stretch my leg. Whenever I stretch my leg, the cramp came. So I had to move all the time, bend my knees, do some movement, so...Question Did you surprise yourself how you were able to hit some outright winners at 127 miles per hour? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: When you're 4 All in the fifth, I mean, you had four hours game. You just feel the ball and you just go for it. If it works, it works. I remember I missed a breakpoint, missed a volley, forehand volley. So that's life. Question You also had a problem in the beginning with the left hand. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, it was just the shock.Question Have you ever been in an atmosphere like that before in your life or experienced anything like that? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no, never. First time. Question What did you feel when the Ole was made? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't know, nothing. I was just waiting to stop so I can play tennis.Question When you fell over, did you feel, as you lay there, that you might have to quit, that you'd be counted out? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I thought that I had to give the game because I couldn't the physio couldn't come in anymore. So, I mean, during the game. So he just told me I was on the floor, he just told me, "I cannot help you. You just have to stand up. If you don't stand up, you lose the game." So I just stand up (laughing). Question Do you think the rules should be changed for this extreme situations?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Tell you the truth, I don't know. But it was really painful. They have to do something about that because, I mean, five sets, I mean, it's a lot of work. It's tough. Really tough. So I don't know. I think they should have they should do something, especially for cramping. I mean, that's... but, I mean, that's the rules today. Doesn't matter. I mean...Question This is the first time? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, first time it happens to me.Question Have you been surprised that you, at 21, were the guy and perhaps not Andre?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, Andre, it wasn't about physically. I think it was about stressed. I remember Coria also he was stressed out in Roland Garros; he had cramps. It's just stress. It's not easy. You have to control yourself. Andre has more experience than me, so maybe that's why. Question Did you say you'd never gotten cramps before? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah. Just said that, yeah. Question I mean, you had never sort of experienced what it was or how to stretch, you just sort of went on instinct?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, just moved. Whenever the cramp came, I did another movement so it goes away.Question At what point did you get a sense this was really a classic? I mean, obviously, it's 1:00 in the morning, 23,000 people. At what point did you get a sense this was a classic match people wouldn't forget any time soon?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I wasn't think about anything like this. I just was fighting maybe to leave on the court, to try to win. That's the only thing I thought at that moment. Question If I could be straightforward, anyone who really knows the game knows that you're one of the great young guys in the game. You have a tremendous heart. But what was it like out there by yourself with over 20,000 New Yorkers on your case not exactly embracing you? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It was tough, really tough. Question What did it feel like, Marcos? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I mean, not so good. I mean, when you miss a first serve and they just clap... (smiling)... I mean, not so good. But that's life. That's the way it is. It happens to everybody. I mean, Agassi deserves what he has today, and all this crowd with him. So that's all.Question Was your feeling that, This is just the nature of sport? Or did you think it was unfair? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It could be unfair, but, I mean, so many things happen that aren't fair, that are unfair in life. So you just have to find the solution to make them fair and try to don't cry about it and try to find the solution to do it right and to win the match. Question Do you think a year from now, when we're talking to you here, you might look back and, despite the pain and the loss, see it as a pretty interesting experience for you?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, of course. Whenever you lose, you learn things and you gain more experience. Today I had a great fight. It's been two times that I go in the match and I wasn't there today, and against Nadal in semis in Wimbledon. So slowly, slowly, I guess I'll gain some more experience. I guess if I'm there the whole match, I mean, it will be tough to beat me, I guess. Question You look back, is it a bit easier to lose like this because on the other side was Andre with his last tournament, or does it make no difference? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I didn't understand the question. Sorry.Question Is it easier for you to lose like this after such a fight because it was Andre's last tournament? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I still don't get the question. Question (Through translation). MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Oh, okay, to accept the defeat you mean? Question Yes. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It's never easy. I'm disappointed. Maybe you don't see that. But I am really disappointed. It's not easy. Sometimes life is not easy, but you have to accept it. Even if it's Andre or not, or anybody, you have to accept things and you have to look forward. So that's where you progress, and that's what I'm trying to do.Question Did you happen to see the Blake Agassi match last year? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, but I heard it was a great match. Question What were the words you exchanged with Andre at the end? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I just told him good luck, and that's all.Question What did he say to you?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: He asked me if I'm okay (smiling). Question The fans recognize you. They gave you a standing ovation. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, it's good (smiling). Question Can you talk about the level of tennis up until the point where you started to cramp. Can you talk about the level of both of your games. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I mean, like I said before, I wasn't really playing good the first two sets. I wasn't here, I mean. With the crowd, it was not easy. Slowly, slowly, I got the rhythm and started reading more easy Andre's game, getting in the match, being aggressive, making less unforced errors, was playing great. I don't know. When you come out of a match, I mean, you just don't know you have to see the match to realize how good you played or how good was the match. So for me, I mean, I played some a lot of great matches, so I come out, say I have to see the match again and see what's I mean, see all the rallies and stuff to say or to explain the match.Question As a young boy, you didn't see Chang play Lendl at Roland Garros when Michael Chang MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No. Question Can you talk about the fourth set. You're down two breaks, down 4 Love in the fourth set, and you came back. Was it a tactical difference, or was it just shots starting to fall? It would have been easy to pack it in at that point. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I remember, I mean, I had a bad start in the fourth. 4 Love, I said, Just put the ball in the court; don't make any mistakes; fight for it. That's what I did. He started missing. Then I think I got confident coming in. I started playing better and better, feeling the ball better and better. Just pulled through. Question When did you first become aware that there was such a person as Andre Agassi? Television? MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It was 1992 when he won Wimbledon, yeah. Question Did you think you'd ever face him?MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't know. I remember when he I remember exactly the matchpoint against Ivanisevic when Ivanisevic missed the volley, backhand volley on the net. Andre was just on the floor crying. If somebody told me, I mean, 13 years later you would be 14, I don't know how many you would be with Andre in the center court playing his last match of his career, I wouldn't believe it. But, I mean, that's great. Question Not the last match. MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I didn't mean the last match, I mean the last tournament. Sorry. Sorry (smiling). Bit tired. Thank you. Have a great evening. FastScripts by ASAP Sports...