Marcos Baghdatis ousts Viktor Troicki in semi-final – Malaysian Open 2011
Marcos Baghdatis, ranked world No.60, opened up against the world No.15, Viktor Troicki, at the Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 1st
October. Playing the semi-final round of the Malaysian Open 2011, the two collided and battled out for an hour and 24 minutes before Baghdatis, Cypriot, moved on ahead winning in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.
Astonishingly as it may seem, the second seed Serb was forced out of the event as Baghdatis made his way into the final of the ATP Tour 250 event. Formerly ranked world No.8, the Cypriot aims to make it back into the top ten.
Walking down the blue circuit, the two waved back to the huge applaud by the crowd and moved on to start with the fixture. Winning the toss, Baghdatis opened up the first game and the scoreboard winning, 1-0. Levelling back, Troicki
mustered game 2 and switch back the serve.
Igniting the game, Troicki broke the Cypriot and took the lead, 2-1. However, the Serbian could not gain advantage of his breakpoint and fell short. Breaking back in game 4, the 26-year-old Cypriot levelled the scores and followed
with winning game 4 to lead the set 3-2.
Baghdatis made his move when he broke again with a smart net play and ousted the 25-year-old to extend his lead, 4-2. With back-to-back breaks, Troicki broke back, 4-3, yet still could not make anything out of that.
Breaking the Serbian for the third time in the set, Baghdatis took out game 8 and served next. With one game left to captivate the first set, Baghdatis rolled up his sleeves banging a heavy forehand across the court winning the
set 6-3, and led the match, 1-0.
Hoping to get back in the match, Troicki served out the first game of the second set, 1-0. Levelling back the lower ranked Cypriot switched back the serve and went ballistic. Baghdatis broke the Serbian three times in the second
set. The first breakpoint Baghdatis was in game 3 with a charging down forehand, 2-1.
Breaking again in game 5, the 26-year-old bombarded the Serbian with his natural backhand stroke and the third ended breakpoint came in game 7, 6-1, as Baghdatis swirled away with a marvellous volley and bagged the second set as
well.
Winning both the sets with much ease, Baghdatis moves into the title match where he will play Troicki’s compatriot, Janko Tipsarevic.
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