Marcos marches into third round
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Written by Ronald Atkin
Marcos Baghdatis loves Wimbledon and the spectators love him in return.
Today's 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 second round victory over Thomas Johansson of
Sweden,
achieved in one hour 45 minutes, was another indication of the Cypriot's
affection for grass and was warmly received by the No.1 Court crowd.
Baghdatis had won his two previous matches against the 33-year-old Swede,
one of them at the Australian Open in January, and today was confirmation
of
his ongoing superiority over a man who is one of the game's One Slam
Wonders, having won the Australian Open in 2002. A semi-final here three
years ago was his next best effort.
Steadiness was what clinched it for Baghdatis, who is appearing this
summer
minus his beard. He struck nine aces, committed no double-faults, hammered
32 winners and was always in command, if narrowly, in this victory.
A big serve remains the chief weapon of Johansson (he hit seven in this
match) but his average speed was marginally lower than that of Baghdatis
(115mph against 119mph). It was his tendency towards wildness on the big
points that cost him in a match where the first two sets were settled by a
single break of serve.
The third set, like the first two, was decided on a sloppy Johansson shot,
a
forehand that flew wide, leaving Baghdatis the single match point he
required. He achieved it with a confident backhand down the line.
This is his fourth Wimbledon. A semi-finalist in 2006, he reached the
quarter-finals last year before falling to Novak Djokovic. Now wonder he
says: "Grass is my favourite surface."
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/match_re****ts/2008-06-25/200806251214393544656.html
|
