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OK, seems no one is really following the tournaments this week (not really me either), but Baghdatis has made the final in Zagreb, while Ljubicic is currently a set down to Youzhny.

I would like to see Baggy do well this year. His ranking last year depended mainly on his good runs in the slams, which have to do with the fact that he's a big-match player, but I suppose were also a little bit fluky. I'm not sure if he'll get back into the top 10 this year without another big slam success, but I'd like to see him build up a few wins in smaller tournaments. How he'll do against Youzhny or Ljubicic might be a good indication of whether he might return to the top 10 during the course of this year, or whether it'll take a bit longer.

(I don't doubt that that will be his rightful place eventually, as he's a classy player, but he's got to be able to draw on his top form more consistently first.)

Yeah to the Bagman - I hope he wins!!! People are so down on him right now. How soon do people forget??

Yeah, let's hope he manages to beat Ljubo for the title.

Baggy had a really great year in 2006, and it was always going to be tough to follow that up, considering so much of his ranking depended on just a couple of good slam runs. I personally think he may need another year or so before he'll really be able to get back to the top, but I wish him well --- he's a great credit to the game, if you ask me.

Youzhny, who I think is hugely underrated, should have won this!! He was a break up and threw it away. He's yet another very capable player who could be a top ten player (in fact, there are about twenty five players who should be top ten which makes this a rather fun era to watch, sorry Wise Analyst!)

I agree, Nick. There are so many great players about.

In the end, what makes top ten material is a lot about consistency, and mental toughness. With the top of the ranking so full of talent, a lot of them have the ability to produce a great performance on the day. Keeping it up, and being able to produce this form on the big points, that's what makes the difference.

As for Youzhny, yes he is somewhat underrated. (In fact, Roger said a similar thing at the AO: he was surprised that he was asked so much more about Djokovic than about Youzhny. Not that Djokovic didn't deserve it, he said, but Misha also would have done.) However, I don't really see him as top 10 material. He's in a good position to break the top 20 this year, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's as good as it gets for him.

Excellent three set win for Baghdatis, couldn't see it but I bet he had his big smile going again (best smile in the ATP when it's working, for my money)!

:yahoo: :bigwave: :yahoo:

Baggy!

:bigwave:

Congrats Baggy :clap:

:bigwave:

Yay Baggy!!!!!!!!!

Yeah! Let's hope this shuts up some of the naysayers. I watched it on Eurosport and I can't really say it was a scintillating match - the crowd was almost silent. And the balls seemed soooo slow. But, he got the job done!!!