Marcos Baghdatis

In a match that reminded tennis fans of another epic encounter, Marcos Baghdatis returned to prominence at the tournament that first made him a household name.

Three and a half years ago, at the 2006 U.S. Open in New York, Baghdatis – the colorful Cypriot with an endlessly expressive personality – warred with Andre Agassi in the last tournament the legendary American would ever play. Situated in a second-round showdown against the beloved eight-time major champion, Baghdatis overcame a two-set deficit to take Agassi the distance.

Given the fact that Baghdatis – the 2006 Australian Open runner-up – was just 21 years old at the time, the prospect of a fifth set should have given “Baggy” an advantage against the 36-year-old Agassi.

In the ninth game of a dead-even final set, that calculus abruptly changed.

Baghdatis’s legs abruptly locked up in a violent series of cramps. He tried to stomp and walk off the cramps in between points, jabbing his legs toward the ground and performing intentionally awkward movements designed to create regular blood flow that would shake his body back into a state of equilibrium.

Those attempts failed, however, and with Agassi performing steadily near the end of a 3-hour, 48-minute battle, the American tennis icon – cheered on by a raucous late-night crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium – pulled out a 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 triumph. Baghdatis spilled his guts on the cement of New York City, but all he had to show for his efforts was a depleted body… and a premature exit from a major.

In past years, Baghdatis has struggled with his fitness, consistency and motivation. In 2009, he suffered a knee injury that forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon. He rebounded toward the very end of the calendar year and then won the Medibank International event just a few weeks ago in Sydney, Australia, but as the year’s first Grand Slam event began, Baghdatis didn’t know what was in store for him.

Now, an older and wiser 24-year-old professional is aware of what his body and mind can achieve.

Baghdatis cramped once again in the fifth set of a thriller, but on a decidedly different Thursday at Hisense Arena, the Cypriot managed to overcome his physical limitations and complete a comeback from a two-set deficit. In 2006 against Agassi, he could only force a fifth stanza, but in the second round of the 2010 Australian Open against 17th-seeded David Ferrer, Baghdatis captured the deciding set despite a balky body.

Even though he began cramping in the sixth game of the fifth set, one of tennis’ most entertaining showmen found the focus and shotmaking consistency needed to outlast Ferrer, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-1, in 4 hours and 9 minutes in the heat of a Southern Hemisphere summer.

When Ferrer bolted to a two-set lead, it appeared that a rematch between Baghdatis and Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt (who staged a classic duel in the 2008 Australian Open) would not materialize, but as soon as a third-set tiebreak cut in Baghdatis’s favor, the tone and tenor of this second round clash changed on a dime.

Baghdatis stormed his Spanish opponent in the final two sets, and although his legs once again experienced the same shooting pains that characterized the Agassi match in 2006, the 24-year-old was able to play through the discomfort and flick premium passing shots to seal the outcome without too much additional drama.

Marcos Baghdatis hasn’t returned to the highest tier of men’s tennis, and has not yet been able reach the semifinal stage of a major tournament, but this gut-check against David Ferrer shows that a resurgence is very much in progress. It might not be long before this lively athlete sheds his “pretender” status and becomes a contender once again.

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