2 Responses to ao10baghdatis_ferrer

1. Voo de Mar says:

   January 12, 2024 at 1:26 am

   Points won by each set: | 34-36, 23-32, 50-44, 26-23, 33-19 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   31 % Baghdatis – 45 of 142
   12 % Ferrer – 22 of 178

   A fun four-hour match on Hisense Arena and the best comeback in [31] Baghdatis’ career, actually one of the best Aussie Open comebacks in this Century, even though the hole in the 3rd set wasn’t deep, and the Cypriot wasn’t closer to lose than four points away. What’s staggering about that encounter is the counter-intuitive progress. At the time Ferrer [18] was considered one of the fittest players on the tour (12-4 five-set record) while the Cypriot had recently lost 4 out of 5 five-setters in Grand Slam events, and those defeats came in very long matches, thus when he trailed 3:4* in the 3rd set, only his fanatic Greek & Cypriot fans could believe in his victory. However, Baghdatis as a better server and more fluid baseliner, preserved more energy; Ferrer showed first signs of tiredness already in the mid-3rd set (in the 1st set he played 18 points more on serve because he was forced to play deuces in four service games), and the pendulum swung away from the Spaniard. Baghdatis broke to lead 5:1 in the decider with a forehand passing-shot and cramps attacked him immediately. Despite limited movement he managed to win the next game after two deuces. This match, along with the Sydney title obtained a week before, drained him totally, forcing to retire in the 2nd set of the third round match against Hewitt.

   Serve & volley: Baghdatis 3/3, Ferrer 0

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   January 12, 2024 at 2:07 am

   A few months later they play in the Madrid second round, and Ferrer wins 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 withstanding a match point

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