2010 Mubadala World Tennis Championship: Preview – Tomas Berdych vs. Marcos Baghdatis
After a month long silence on the international tennis front, tennis superstars are all set to return to the arena as exhibition matches in Abu Dhabi kick off the 2011 season, on Thursday. A three-day exhibition event, with six
tennis pros ready to compete at the 2010 Mubadala World Tennis Championship starts tomorrow. The final will be held on New Year’s Day.
The six pros participating in the event are Swiss maestro Roger Federer, defending champion Rafael Nadal, Swede marvel Robin Soderling, Czech number one Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marcos Baghdatis.
Kicking off the event on Wednesday afternoon will be the world number six Berdych as he takes on the inform Cypriot, Baghdatis.
This will be the players’ third meeting for the year bringing their all time career meetings to five. Having alternated between a win and a loss in their meetings, the head to head for their career as well as for the season is
levelled between the two. Their first 2010 meeting came in the season opener at Brisbane. The rising Czech emerged victorious in a quick straight set victory. The two then met again in the round of sixteen at the Cincinnati Masters. Enjoying a straight, yet
not so simple, set victory over Berdych, Baghdatis was able to level his head to head score with the Czech. However, being an exhibition match the result will not contribute to any change in the pair’s head to head score.
Starting 2010, ranked 42nd in the world, Baghdatis took quite a large leap in the year to end it twenty-two places higher. Registering a win loss mark of 43-27 for the season, Baghdatis finished the year with only one
title win, having won at the Medibank International in Sydney. Baghdatis also made final appearances at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow and the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington. Baghdatis, however, failed to put in any commendable performance at the Grand
Slams. His best came at the Roland Garros when he made it to the third round before losing to Andy Murray. He retired from the Australian Open due to an injury and he was forced to exit in the first round from Wimbledon and the US Open.
Talking about his match against Berdych, Baghdatis said, “Last year I started to get back to my very best so I cannot wait to start my season in Abu Dhabi against a quality field in preparation for the Australian Open. Over the
years I’ve had some great battles with Tomas and I’m expecting another very close match but hopefully the fans at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship will see me as the ‘local player’ and show me their support.”
Ranked a good fifteen places higher than his opponent, Berdych makes his debut in Abu Dhabi tomorrow. Having enjoyed a comparatively better season, Berdych was part of the elite eight-man field at the season finale event in London.
Although Berdych failed to win any titles for the year, he finished the year with a win loss mark of 45-26 making noticeable final appearances during the season. Moving past Federer in the early rounds and Soderling in the semis,
Berdych was able to secure a spot for himself in the final of the Miami Masters. His career c*m season best came in June when the Czech was able to make it all the way to final match of the Wimbledon Championships.
Making his debut in Abu Dhabi and facing Baghdatis, Berdych said, “In 2010 my game took another positive step forward and I was pleased with the progress made during a satisfying season. For sure more people will be looking at
me but I’m ready for that and the start of the new season with my debut in Abu Dhabi. I’ve been working hard in preparation for the year ahead and Abu Dhabi sounds like the ideal place to get match fit and check out the form of the other players. Matches with
Marcos are always tough which is exactly what I need in the build-up to the Australian Open.”
The winner of this match will go on to face Nadal in the semis. Should Berdych be able to defeat Baghdatis, he will be able to get a rematch of the Wimbledon final where Nadal defeated Berdych to secure his eighth career Grand
Slam.
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