Marcos Baghdatis reveals if he wants Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon
Marcos Baghdatis has told Tennis365 which player he would like to win the Wimbledon men’s title as he discussed Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic’s chances.
Sinner and Djokovic could meet in the semi-finals at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year if they both win their quarter-final matches on Tuesday.
World No 1 Sinner, who is the reigning champion, is seeking his second title at the All England Club and fifth major overall.
Djokovic, who is seeded seventh, is chasing a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon crown and record-extending 25th Grand Slam.
Speaking to Tennis365 at Wimbledon, Baghdatis shared his thoughts on a potential blockbuster showdown between Sinner and Djokovic.
“It’s a tough one. You can never let Djokovic out of the loop, especially on grass,” said the 2006 Australian Open runner-up.
“It plays a bit lower, a bit faster. So I think that’s the surface he likes. But on the other hand, Sinner showed us many times that he’s unbelievable.
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“It’s gonna be a tough one. I think that could have been the final, but they’re on the same side of the draw. We’ll see.”
Baghdatis also identified No 2 seed Alexander Zverev as a serious threat after the German’s French Open victory.
“[Alexander] Zverev, I think now that he won the French Open, the pressure of not winning a Slam went away from him, so I think he can be dangerous too,” said the Cypriot.
The former world No 8 went on to say he thinks Djokovic “deserves” to win another major, but added that he is also a big fan of Sinner’s game.
“My personal opinion, I would like to see Novak win one more time,” divulged Baghdatis.
“I think it would be great for him to win one more. I think he deserves it. He’s pushing every year. He’s still here at the age he is. So I would like to see that.
“But on the other hand, I love Sinner, I love the way he plays. It will be interesting.
“Both have had their own problems in matches. Like, Sinner got injured against [Miomir] Kecmanovic, and Novak had a tough one against Yibing Wu.”
Asked if the hot weather could be a factor if Sinner and Djokovic meet, Baghdatis replied: “It could be a factor.
“Of course, we saw Sinner struggling twice this year in difficult weather conditions — especially the hot conditions.
“But I don’t know, I think they’re both prepared. They know what they’re doing, so they’re not thinking about that.”
Baghdatis reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2006, and he was a fan favourite at the historic grass-court event.
The 41-year-old, who retired from tennis after playing Wimbledon in 2019, is competing in the Invitation Doubles at the All England Club.
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