Novak Djokovic vs Marcos Baghdatis – Third Round Preview: Wimbledon Championships 2011
Second seed Novak Djokovic will take on Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in third round of 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships here at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Saturday.
Coming of his 43 match winning streak, Djokovic has been in commanding form over the last six months or so. Flooring Andy Murray in the final of 2011 Australian Open, he bagged second Grand Slam title of his career. The Serb had
a smooth ride so far at the Grand Slam tournament, progressing efficiently with his recent victory over hard hitting Kevin Anderson in straight sets. Earlier in his first round clash against Jeremy Chardy, he dropped only six games to wrap up the contest.
Djokovic will also have a chance of ensuring his world number one ranking if he can make it to the final of the championships regardless of what the result of the match is. There were a few concerns in the Djokovic camp before
the tournament started as he had missed the green surface warm up events.
However, after seeing him so comfortable on the grass court in his opening two matches, very few will have doubts over his abilities to make it all the way to the finals. Considering Djokovic’s recent performances, he will be the
heavy favourite going into this match. He will be looking to seal the match in straight sets.
"Nowadays grass is slower than it used to be, so I think it's more suitable to my style of the game. The ball bounces higher, which makes it a bit more easier to return," he explained in his post-match press conference.
"I returned really well these two matches. This is going to be one of the, you know, important elements in my game in order to be successful. But I need to serve well, as well, because it's not only about the return."
Marcos Baghdatis posted two contrasting victories to reach that far at the tournament. He played a five set thriller against American James Blake in the first round. In the second round play, he looked in much more control of his
game as he earned a straight sets victory over Andreas Seppi
The pair has met each other four times previously on the tour with Djokovic recording wins in each of them. At 2007 Wimbledon Championships quarterfinal, Djokovic had to dig in deep to edge past Cypriot in a five set epic encounter,
so far the only grass court meeting between the two players.
After having a decent 2010 year, Baghdatis’s form has not been great this year. He has experienced several early round losses at the ATP tour. However, over the years he has developed an image of a big match player. He possesses
a fierce forehand shot and he is also known for his blistering serves.
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