Baghdatis stuns Del Potro
Marcos Baghdatis produced an inspired display to eliminate Juan Martin Del Potro and reach the semi-finals of the Sydney International.
Last Updated: 12/01/12 8:42pm
Marcos Baghdatis produced an inspired display to eliminate top seed Juan Martin Del Potro and reach the semi-finals of the Sydney International on Thursday.
The Cypriot, a winner at the Australian Open warm-up event in 2009, defeated former US Open champion Del Potro 7-6 (9/7) 6-4 in one hour and 40 minutes at Olympic Park.
World number 43 Baghdatis will now face Julien Benneteau in Friday's semi-finals after the Frenchman beat Russia's Alex Bogomolov Jnr 6-2 6-4.
"I played great today, I had a not so good match yesterday in tough conditions and (my coach) just said to go for it and I went for it," Baghdatis said after the match.
"I was playing really aggressive. It was great."
Decisive
Del Potro had looked in control in the first set, having broken Baghdatis in the seventh game, but Baghdatis broke back to 5-5, before both players held serve to force a tie-break.
Del Potro took the early advantage and had two set points but Baghdatis saved both and then needed one set point of his own to clinch the set.
Baghdatis made the decisive break in the seventh game of the second set, before serving out the match.
"Marcos played really well in the important moments, and I had a chance in the first set and I didn't take it," Del Potro said.
"When you lose every chance and the opponent is like Marcos, you will lose.
"Marcos played better and better during the match. At the end of the match he was completely confident with his game and make a lot of winners with the backhand and forehand and was really tough."
Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin and Jarkko Nieminen of Finland will contest the other semi-final.
Istomin proved too strong for French third seed Richard Gasquet 6-4 7-6 (7/4), while Nieminen eliminated American Bobby Reynolds 6-3 6-3.
