Cyprus-Forum.com

[Cap]

Baggy dispatches of Ozzie Anglo Saxon number 1 Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 en route to semi's of the Sydney International.

MARCOS BAGHDATIS is the fallen hero in the opening scene of Andre Agassi's autobiography. The legendary American begins his life story with vivid details of their match at the 2006 US Open, portraying Baghdatis as a younger version of himself, armed with meticulously clean ball-striking and weapons of mass destruction for groundstrokes. Their epic five-setter was the final victory of Agassi's career, handing Baghdatis a place in folklore even before the Las Vegas showman put pen to paper and showered him in compliments.

Baghdatis yesterday earned a place in the semi-finals of the Sydney International by defeating Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Today he will face Mardy Fish, who put an end to any hope of an Australian victory last night when he accounted for Peter Luczak in straight sets.

Hewitt began like an locomotive to take a high-class first set. He stole an early break in the second set with four majestic points topped off by a running forehand passing shot that lifted the roof. He ran to the change of ends, face flushed and expectant - but then the tap ran cold. The mercurial Baghdatis, spurred by vocal support from Cypriots and Greeks in the city where his grandmother lives, embarked on a six-game streak to enter the third set with guns blazing.

Hewitt travels to the Australian Open with a loss under his belt from a tournament he won four times in his pomp. He has played from the top shelf on occasions this week but he's also been patchy. Patchiness won't cut the mustard at Melbourne Park, but in the first set and a bit, with Baghdatis sprawled on his back because he was being run ragged, there were signs of vintage Hewitt.

''I'm not that disappointed, really,'' he said. ''I was trying a few different things out there today and mixing up the game a little bit. Hopefully it'll hold me in good stead for next week. I've just got to go out there and trust how I'm playing.

''The first set and a half, I played well, tried mixing it up a little, a bit serve and volleying, slicing a little bit more, doing a few different things. Hopefully it'll pay off next week.''

On the Open draw, to be conducted today, Hewitt said: ''In the hands of the gods. I can't do much about it. Just a matter of wait and see. I don't want to be looking past the first round. You've always got to step up in slams. That's what I pride myself on, always trying to play my best tennis. After you come back from injuries and you've been world No.1 and won slams before, that's what drives me, tournaments like next week. I'll be doing everything in my power to get through the first week, and we'll see what happens after that.''

Baghdatis will be a dangerous floater at the Open and a favourite of desperate punters wanting to put a few bob on a roughie. Hounded by injury and unspecified personal dramas since the five-set defeat to Agassi in New York, he has clawed his way back to No.42 in the world. He will be unseeded in Melbourne and unwanted by the big boppers as an early round opponent.

''Andre showed me his book before it came out so I could read it,'' Baghdatis told the Herald. ''I was honoured that he had written about me in the first chapter. It is a famous book already. He said he hoped I would enjoy it and of course I did. When I read that first chapter, there was a lot of emotion there for me, remembering that match. Being in the first chapter playing against Andre, I don't know how to describe it. It really is an honour. I still have it at home, I took it back to Cyprus so my parents could read it. It gives us great pleasure. He says a lot of nice things about me in his book. I don't think he says say nice things about all the other players in the book.''

[FragnaticDeath]

Bagdatis is back!

[Nikitas]

Pole vaults! I thought he was a tennis player.

[Cap]

Another hard win today.
Fried Mardy Fish for a place in the finals.

[kurupetos]

Baghdatis won the Medibank International Sydney! Well done Marcos!

[Cap]

Baghdatis won the Medibank International Sydney! Well done Marcos!

You beat me to it dude. lol
Congratulations. 35 in the rankings as of Monday. Bravo

[Oracle]

This is good news. He is a great guy!

[kurupetos]

Baghdatis won the Medibank International Sydney! Well done Marcos!

You beat me to it dude. lol
Congratulations. 35 in the rankings as of Monday. Bravo

Wow!

[Cap]

Baggy's epic 5 set thriller against Ferrer.
Came back from 2 sets down to win the match.