Wimbledon 2019 - Marcos Baghdatis wildcard profile: A closer look at the veteran Cypriot
Baghdatis, 34, peaked at No 8 in the world, but now holds a ranking of 139
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Your support makes all the difference.The only non-British player to have been confirmed as a recipient of a main draw wildcard, Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis was a semi-finalist at Wimbledon back in 2006. He triumphed in straight sets over a young Andy Murray on the way to an eventual defeat at the hands of Rafael Nadal. The following year, Baghdatis was thwarted in five sets at the quarter-final stage by Novak Djokovic.
Baghdatis, 34, peaked at No 8 in the world, but now holds a ranking of 139. The wildcard confirms an unbroken run at the tournament stretching back to 2010. Baghdatis has only missed The Championships once since 2005.
He has yet to feature in a Grand Slam this season, losing in the first qualifying round at the Australian Open.
His best result of the year came in a round of 16 triumph over Lucas Pouille in the Open Sud de France in February. He will need to recapture similar form if he wishes to progress beyond the second round at SW19, something he has not managed since 2015.
Best Wimbledon finish: Semi-finals, 2006 (defeat in straight sets to Spaniard Rafael Nadal)
Grand Slam best: Baghdatis achieved his best finish when he reached the Australian Open final in 2006. Andy Roddick was one of the players dispatched to help set up a meeting with Roger Federer; Baghdatis actually took the first set against the Swiss legend, but ultimately fell to defeat. His best title came in an ATP 500 event in Beijing, but all of his four tournament triumphs occurred at least nine years ago.
Highest ranking: Baghdatis rose as high as world No 8 in August of 2006, on the back of the Wimbledon semi-final and Australian Open final.
Current Ranking: 139
Age: 34
How did he perform last year? Baghdatis was well on his way to victory in the first round at Wimbledon last year when Dominic Thiem was forced to retire through injury. The Austrian has since reached No 4 in the world rankings. Baghdatis was then handed another tough match in the second round, however, and ultimately fell to a five-set defeat against the Russian Karen Khachanov.
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