One of the most significant aspects of a player's character is his response to a defeat. A victory brings a smile to the faces of all, but a player who rages and screams or flings the racket down in rage is hardly liked by the fans. However, Marcos Baghdatis was a man who maintained a constant smile, with the sheer joy of playing the game he loved and adored writ large over his face. Baghdatis faced his fair share of problems during the course of a fine career, with injuries affecting his performances and appearances in the game. However, the same never affected his demeanour with the Cypriot seen smiling at every stage. This attitude even had a significant impact on Roger Federer, who hailed the player following his retirement from the game.
“I remember Marcos when I played him at the [2004] US Open in a night session match. He was still very young. He had super long hair. I think he took a set off me, too [Federer won 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-1 in the second round]. You could see how good he could become because he had the speed, simple technique, forehand, backhand, which is always going to help you throughout the course of your career. He also had a winner's mentality, liked the big stage. I think that's also one of the reasons he did well here and also in Australia when the big matches came about. Off the court, he was always a lovely guy, always very funny, easy-going, good to be around with. So I liked him on the court, off the court," said Federer in an exclusive interaction with atptour.com.
“I think for Cyprus, he did so much coming from such a small country and becoming a sporting superstar. I'm sure that was a big deal at home… He's always been a joy to watch also for us players, so we'll miss him," he added.
Baghdatis won four singles career titles during the course of his career. However, he was a part of many memorable encounters where the Cypriot showcased his talent and immense confidence. The first instance of that was witnessed in the 2006 Australian Open. The tennis star defeated three consecutive Top 10 opponents, having been expected to succumb early against such fierce competition. Baghdatis won over fans with his positivity and spirit, surging into the final against Roger Federer. The Cypriot gave it his all despite being just 20 years old, but Federer was a player of a different class altogether which saw him finish second-best. Not content with his heroics in the Australian Open, Baghdatis followed it up by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals. This made him the first Cypriot to reach the top 10 in the ATP rankings, in a significant feat.
While the tennis star was certainly a very positive and easy-going person, he was quite serious about the game and ensured optimum performances while out on the court. Baghdatis's biggest strength was the powerful forehand which he enjoyed, which was further backed by accuracy and power. The tennis star was hailed for his positive approach even when down and out in an encounter, making him a fan-favourite to the core.
Australian Open: F (2006)
French Open: 4R (2007)
Wimbledon: SF (2006)
US Open: 4R (2016)
