{"id":1257,"date":"2013-08-30T21:16:06","date_gmt":"2013-08-31T01:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heavytopspin.com\/?p=1257"},"modified":"2013-08-30T21:16:06","modified_gmt":"2013-08-31T01:16:06","slug":"anderson-vs-baghdatis-in-extreme-detail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tennisabstract.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/30\/anderson-vs-baghdatis-in-extreme-detail\/","title":{"rendered":"Anderson vs Baghdatis: In Extreme Detail"},"content":{"rendered":"

This one was fun. \u00a0When choosing to chart this match, I figured it was good for at least four sets, and that\u00a0Kevin Anderson<\/a> was likely to come out on top. \u00a0The typical Marcos Baghdatis<\/a> performance this year has consisted of occasional glimpses of brilliance, mired in clunky decision-making and a pile of unforced errors.<\/p>\n

Tonight we were treated to vintage Baghdatis, the version that packs stadiums with fans hoping to see some his trademark electric shotmaking. \u00a0Anderson may not have brought his best game, but he hit a fair number of first serves that would have gone for cheap points against most players, while Baghdatis not only got them back, he quickly turned the point to his advantage.<\/p>\n

In 12 service games, Anderson was broken\u00a0six<\/em> times, most on hard courts since a 2010 match against Sam Querrey<\/a>. \u00a0(Really, Sam Querrey.) \u00a0And it was Baghdatis’s most dominant performance in a Slam match since the 2006 Australian, when he beat Denis Gremelmayr<\/a>, 6-2 6-1 6-2. \u00a0I seem to recall the rest of that tournament going pretty well for Marcos, too.<\/p>\n

If the same Baghdatis shows up for Sunday’s match against Stanislas Wawrinka<\/a>, that third-rounder could be a highlight of the weekend.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, enjoy all serve and return breakdowns for both players.<\/a><\/p>\n

Almost every one of those tables illustrates some aspect of Baghdatis’s dominance tonight.<\/p>\n