Marcos is through to the third round of the Citi Open after battling past Lukas Lacko 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday night in Washington D.C.
The victory was Marcos’ first on the ATP World Tour since February, when he advanced to the quarter-finals in Rotterdam. He defeated Lacko in just over two hours, hitting nine aces and crucially saving five of the six break points he faced. It was Marcos’ first victory over the Slovakian, having lost to Lacko at Wimbledon in 2010 and Zagreb last year.
"It feels great getting back a win in my legs and in my mind," said Marcos. "I've been working really hard throughout the past six months, even though I lost so many matches. I felt good on court all the time and had a lot of chances to win the matches.
"In the first set today I had my chances: five break points, two on Lacko's second serve and I didn't do anything with them. I was very passive, not aggressive. He took the set in the tie-break; he played a good tie-break. I told myself I needed to go out there and win the match. I played more aggressive, took more chances and immediately I was the boss on the court. With a bit of luck I went through.”
On Thursday Marcos will play the winner of the second-round contest between second seed Kei Nishikori and American hope Jack Sock. Marcos has a 3-1 career lead over Nishikori and would play Sock for the first time.
"I've played Nishikori a few times before,” said Marcos. “I have a good record, but it doesn't say much. I'll see their match tonight with my coach. We'll see how to deal with it.
"Washington is a great city, one of the nicest cities in the world. It's great being here. The fans love tennis here and it's a great feeling out there, feeling the positive energy. The conditions are pretty humid, a bit like back home. I like it that way. The courts are pretty fast and the balls too; it suits my game."
Stay tuned to www.baghdatis.com for more updates.
Go, Marcos!
