TENNIS/Australian Open: Marcos Baghdatis could have walked through the streets of this city two weeks ago without anybody giving him a second glance, unless it was to remark on the scruffiness of his beard and his baggy clothing, although even this would hardly single him out from the many hundreds of other young men roaming around the Victorian capital.
Some might have remembered him reaching the last 16 in last year's Australian Open before falling in straight sets to Roger Federer, except Federer's victims, especially those dumped before the quarter-finals, are rarely remembered for this long.
Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and latterly Rafael Nadal have all arrived on the grand-slam stage with a mighty clash of cymbals, and now it is the turn of this affable, beaming 20-year-old Cypriot, who initially startled the junior tennis world when he rose to number one three years ago and won the title here.
Last night, on Australia Day, and with fireworks exploding around the Rod Laver Arena, Baghdatis reached the final of the senior Australian Open, coming back from two sets down to beat Argentina's world number four David Nalbandian 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. He was the third top-10 player Baghdatis had beaten within a week, having accounted for Andy Roddick in the fourth round and Ivan Ljubicic in the quarter-finals.
It has been a quite remarkable few days for the young man from Limassol, the more so because without being overtly flamboyant or unduly theatrical, he has drawn the crowd to him like a magnet. Yes, he has had his own wildly enthusiastic bunch of Greek supporters, but he has grabbed everybody on board with his infectious enthusiasm, along with his intense concentration and brilliant shot making.
There is, indeed, something of the Agassi about his play, and perhaps something of the Federer too. Above all, he is his own man who has impressed his personality on all those who have been lucky enough to see him using his multiple skills on the six players here who have tried in vain to beat him.
Nalbandian set out to deflate the Baghdatis bubble with the severest of ground strokes that appeared to brook no argument.
The Argentinian came here with his eyes clearly fixed on winning his first slam title on Sunday. Even when Baghdatis, dredging up every last reserve of energy, managed to level at two sets all, the feeling remained that Nalbandian would hold sway, especially when he leaped into a 2-0 lead in the fifth.
This was to underestimate Baghdatis. He levelled, fell behind again at 4-2, and then, leading 5-4 and serving for the match, was forced off court for 20 minutes because it rained and the roof had to be closed.
But the young Cypriot was not about to let matters slip, and mighty was the roar when he aced Nalbandian for the most fabulous of wins.
"When it rained I went into the changing room and asked my coach (Guillaume Payre) 'What do I do?' He just said: 'I'm not scared for you. I'm scared for him'. It pumped me up. I think it was great coaching."
There were moments when it seemed the weight of expectation pressed heavily on his young shoulders, but it only needed one zinging winner for him to bounce back up and roar his delight in the direction of coach and girlfriend Camille Nevieve.
Baghdatis left Cyprus when he was 13 to live and train in Paris, and was quick to take responsibility for his own life on and off the court, which has stood him in good stead over the past few days when friends and acquaintances have been clamouring for tickets. This comes as no surprise as he is the only player from Cyprus to have played in a grand slam or be ranked inside the world's top 100.
"To tell you the truth I don't really know how I have managed to get this far," he confessed. "I'm in my own world, but above all I believe in what I am achieving."
He began the tournament having reached only one ATP final, in Basle last year, and ranked at number 54 in the world. Now he is in the final: "And I want to win it."
Guardian Service
