TENNIS in DEPTH.

 Marcos Baghdatis lifted his first ATP World Tour title since February 2007, after defeating Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-1, 7-5 at the If Stockholm Open on Sunday. Baghdatis became the 10th unseeded winner of the ATP World Tour this year.

World No. 66 Baghdatis earned €93,000 in prize money and won 250 South African Airways 2009 ATP Ranking points, while Rochus pocketed €49,000 and 150 points.

Baghdatis, who won his third ATP Challenger Tour title last week at Tashkent (d. Istomin), made a confident start in his seventh ATP World Tour final.

The 24 year old converted his third break point opportunity in the fourth game and his decisively broke in the sixth game. He won 66 per cent of service points and hit eight aces in the 40-minute first set.

The pair exchanged service breaks at the start of the second set and again in the sixth and seventh games. Baghdatis, who beat Rochus 7-5, 6-4 at the 2006 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, broke serve for the fifth time in the 11th game and went on to wrap up victory in one hour and 39 minutes.

The talented Baghdatis, who has not quite lived up to his promise after reaching the Australian Open final in 2006, sunk to his knees and celebrated.

Clearly moved, he kissed the floor of the Royal Tennis Hall.

“It’s a great feeling and I’m so happy,” Baghdatis said in an on-court interview. “It’s been a long while since I’ve won a tournament, especially an ATP tournament.”

Baghdatis’s two previous wins came in Beijing in 2006 and in Zagreb in 2007.

“Last year was really hard for me, so it’s great to have this win today. I don’t really know what to say right now, I’m just happy. I wish it continues.”

“First set, I was a bit lucky and broke him twice. Then in the second set Olivier started playing, he began returning me and reading my game.”

Asked about his future, Baghdatis, 24, said: “I don’t want any limits, and I don’t want to set any goals. I just want to be more consistent than ever.”

Baghdatis won 62 per cent of service points, hit 15 aces and saved four of six break points. It was his third ATP World Tour trophy (3-4 lifetime) and first since 4 February 2007 at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors.

The former World No. 8 (21 August 2006) improved to a 23-16 match record on the year. Rochus, 28, dropped to 3-4 in ATP World Tour finals and to 13-7 this year. It was his first final appearance since 30 September 2007 at Mumbai (l. to Gasquet).

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