AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2006

Marcos Baghdatis

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: A lot of things. I mean, I played great tennis first two sets and then I start thinking. Whenever I had breakpoint or was close to break him again, start thinking about the victory, start thinking about a lot of things. That's all. In the fifth set I just said to myself, "I just fight for it." And couldn't find any solutions. So the only thing I had to do is just put the ball in the court, just try to fight every point, just try not to make a lot of mistakes, go for the right shots at the right moment. I got pumped up. I start to move a lot and start to have fun, start to enjoy it in the match. It just pumped me up and made me get some more energy to finish it up.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: What will happen at the end of the match. I just went out of the match. I wasn't thinking just to play my game and just go in the court, play aggressive tennis. And I just start thinking about what will happen after.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I worked a lot before I come here. And, I mean, I feel quite okay. I mean, today was not so hot, so it was okay. We could play tennis. I mean, I wasn't feeling so tired. I mean, I feel okay. I feel pretty good.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I'm just trying to be myself in the court, just try to have fun my way and just enjoy it my way. It seems that people like it, so I'm happy.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I hope so. They have been great throughout the week - two weeks, sorry. It's just been great playing in front of them. It's an amazing -- there is so many emotions and it's just amazing.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It was tough after beating Roddick, I felt a bit stressed out in the beginning of this match. Didn't know what will happen, how will I play. I played my best match last -- two days ago beating Roddick. Just I didn't know what to wait. I mean, I just didn't know how Ivan will play. I was a bit stressed out. But at the end I found a solution, so I'm very happy.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Oh, we played each other twice, we're 1-All. So I don't know. I just go in the match and play my own tennis and try not to give easy points and try to be smart and take my chances. I think if I do that, I have a big chance of winning.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm all the time confident when I go in the court. I all the time believe in myself. That's one of my like - how you say - positive things, yeah.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I was confident. Just like I said before, I just said, "I have to fight every point and just don't miss a ball." I knew that physically it will be based on -- the points of the match will be based on physic and mental. I tried to keep in the game, tried to fight every point. It paid off.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I wasn't thinking about the next game.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no, no. I'll start thinking maybe tomorrow. It depends. I'm playing night I think on Thursday. Either tomorrow or Thursday morning, afternoon, the stress starts to come up. I try not to think a lot. Try to relax. I know it will come along. Maybe it can come the night before the match. It can come the day of the match. It depends.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I mean, everybody has pressure. Everybody's scared. Everybody's human. So, I mean, I think I deal with it well, so I'm pretty happy. I mean, all my career I had pressure. I mean, I left home when I was 14, so that helped me, you know, take my responsibilities. Now I see life maybe great today. I just don't -- I'm calm. I feel that I control the game and control my life, so I feel okay.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: It depends how you are in the match. Every day is different. Sometimes when you don't feel good, you have to fight and pump yourself up. That's the only way you can win the match when you don't feel good. When you feel good, when you're in the tournament, I think it was first round, I remember that match, and I wasn't feeling great. It was just the first match. Every first match of a tournament is important to win it, not to play good. The conditions are new, and that's how take my career, my tennis, try to win the first match. When a tournament goes on, I just stay more calm. I feel more the things, more smart in the court and see the things better.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I spoke to my mother, father, sister and brother, Davis Cup coach, the owner of the academy in Paris I practice in. I mean, it's just -- in Cyprus especially it's just amazing. Everybody are in the streets right now. All my family, parents, just everybody, they're having fun. Everybody today stopped working in Cyprus to see my match, or took a television at work. I mean, it's just an amazing day for Cyprus, for me, for my family. And back in France, I mean, the whole academy was in front of the television. Everybody stopped practicing. Just it's great also (smiling).

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Not yet. I don't want to believe it and I don't want to think about it. I just want to take the match like it's a first round and just fight my way through.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I didn't -- like I told you after beating Roddick, I didn't know what to expect. I was a bit lost. Going in the game, wasn't feeling so good. But, again, I found my way out. I think that's what I will try to do the next match. It's just experience. It's just - I don't know - just my first time I'm here. Not here, but in the semis, quarters. So I didn't know how to expect, but now I feel better and I got more experience by beating Roddick and Ivan. So I hope it will go well.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I love soccer, yeah.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: (Indiscernible) in Cyprus.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Player? (Indiscernible). Rude, rude (smiling).

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, yeah. I was alone in France in my bedroom. Not so fun.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, it change a lot. Especially after the match against Andy, I cannot walk in the streets anymore. Everybody's asking for autographs. I cannot stop at a traffic light. It's like, you know, like flies are coming on you (smiling). It's fun. I mean, in the beginning was fun. But at the moment, you know, it's just you don't feel so good so I try not to go out a lot.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Credit, I give him a lot because, I mean, last year was tough for me. I pass through tough moments. He was there for me, help me a lot. I mean, we went through it together. I mean, I'm in the semis but he's in the semis also. So that says everything.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: He stayed calm. He doesn't have a lot of experience also. But I think he knows me so well and I know him so well so we try to, I don't know, it's just like he knows me, I know him, we don't even have to speak about the match. He knows what will I do and I know how he will be. I know what time -- what to do at what time and he knows if I just go on the court and just hit for five minutes I'm okay. He just lets me do what I have to do. He trusts me a lot and he's behind me all the time. So it's great.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, just personal problems I had back home.