Match report

Marcos Baghdatis © Tennistalk.com
Open 13
Semi final
2/16/08 1 2 Tot
cy  Marcos Baghdatis 4 2 0
hr  Mario Ancic 6 6 2
Mario Ancic © Tennistalk.com

  • Ancic’s Run Continues With Straight-Set Win Over Baghdatis

    2/17/08 10:15 AM | Ricky Dimon
    Mario Ancic is in the final of his first tournament in 2008, as he takes out Marcos Baghdatis in the semifinals of the Open 13 on Saturday afternoon.

    It doesn’t matter how he got there; the bottom line is that unseeded Mario Ancic is in the final of his first tournament of the year after missing time with nagging back and shoulder injuries.

    The 6’5’’ Croat upended sixth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-2 in a match that produced nowhere near the same standard of tennis as these competitors’ previous efforts at the Open 13 in Marseille, France. Unlike in his first three matches this week, Ancic was not at his best and he did not serve off the charts like he had been (47 aces through three matches). He put in just 53 percent of his first serves and struck only four aces. Nonetheless, Ancic was able to save all three break points he faced against Baghdatis and he has still not dropped serve this entire tournament.

    The good news for Ancic is that he didn’t have to be at his best in order to dispatch Baghdatis, whose level dropped considerably on Saturday. Unable to get into the same kind of rhythm he had been enjoying earlier in the week, the Cypriot had no answer from the baseline for Ancic’s attacking style of play. As is normal for Baghdatis when things are not going well, it was his forehand that let him down. He sprayed far too many errors off that side, allowing Ancic to cruise into the final with surprising ease.

    Ancic will meet fourth-seeded Andy Murray in Sunday’s championship match. It’s the second head-to-head clash between the two finalists. Ancic holds a 1-0 advantage over the Scot, having prevailed in Auckland, New Zealand back in 2006 with a 6-3, 7-6(4) win.

  • Thumbs up

    Ancic, who is a perfect 7-for-7 saving break points this week, lost just four points on his first serve

  • Thumbs down

    Baghdatis is now a disappointing 1-4 head-to-head against Ancic

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cy  Marcos Baghdatis hr  Mario Ancic
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