Photo: Ron C. Angle
In an encouraging start to the new season, Marcos pushed World No. 6 Tomas Berdych all the way in a close 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 defeat at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi.
After dropping the first set and going down an early break of serve in the second set, Marcos fought back strongly to level the match, winning five of the next six games from 1-2 down as he capitalised on Berdych’s errors and tightened up his own game.
Marcos again showcased his fighting qualities in the third set as he rallied from a 2-5 deficit, saving a match point in the ninth game to draw level at 5-5. However, he could not force the match into a deciding tie-break as Berdych broke serve once more in the 12th game to clinch victory as Marcos miss-fired on a drive volley.
In the lengthy contest, fans were able to see the rewards of all the hard work Marcos put in during the off-season and there were plenty of encouraging signs for the new ATP World Tour season, which begins on Sunday 2 January in Brisbane for Marcos.
"This is my first match in two months and to play a top player is not easy," said Marcos. "But I am pretty happy with my performance, playing good tennis, moving well on court. There were some moments in the match that I played well."
Stay tuned to www.baghdatis.com for all the latest news on Marcos.
