Wasted Talent - 4/6/2011

Date: 4/6/2011
Result: Casablanca R2, Andrey Kuznetsov def. Marcos Baghdatis, 6-4 4-6 6-4
Why it matters:
-When Baghdatis is focused, motivated, and in form, he can beat anybody.  He can hit any shot from any position.  But if he is missing any of those 3 important qualities (focus, motivation, form), then he's just average for a pro, and can lose to basically anybody on tour.  His initial slump following his breakthrough year in 2006 seemed to have been mainly due to a lack of conditioning.  But he says he's gotten fit - though photos don't always prove that (he's not THAT big, but for an elite athlete...) - so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt there.   But it's the motivation that seems to be missing.  You never hear him saying anything about how badly he wants it, and you certainly don't see the fight on the court.  He may be a showman at times, but it's more about the entertainment factor, not the desire.  I'm not sure that his top level is necessarily good enough to be a dominant champion, but we know it should at least be good enough for the top 10.  I don't think anyone can convince him that he'll regret wasting this amazing opportunity later in life, so hopefully he'll realize it himself soon, because he truly is fun to watch.
- For Kuznetsov, this is by far his biggest win in his whole career - only his fourth on the main tour ever - but he seems to like something about Morocco.  He needs to build on these experiences if he wants to improve, especially since he seems to have decided that he wants to climb the rankings by playing challengers rather than trying to qualify for tour events most weeks.  Getting to climb the rankings slowly at the challengers can be a smart choice, but many players struggle with the transition to the "big leagues" later on.  If Kuznetsov makes the most of his experience in Casablanca, it might make the step up less daunting.
Honorable Mentions:
- Charleston R2, Sabine Lisicki def. Marion Bartoli - 62 63 - Bartoli's hot streak has come to an end seemingly.  Oddly, she loses in the first round of her first American clay event every year.  I guess it takes her time to transition, and also her aggressive game style (and lack of movement) just doesn't really suit clay.  Lisicki, meanwhile, is on the comeback from a pretty severe injury in a place where she had her greatest success.  Lisicki is talented, but her game can sometimes get wild.  If she gets the swagger back that took her to the title in 2009, she could be a dangerous floater over the next several months.
- Marbella R2, Dinara Safina def. Tsvetana Pironkova - 63 64 - Safina really controlled the match start to finish, though that's not to say that she didn't falter at times.  But if Safina can continue to play matches on her terms, once she strings more and more of these wins together she should find herself back among the games elite players, or at the very least seeded for grand slams so she can avoid some unfortunate first round matchups.  Pironkova, on the other hand, better get her act together.  Her poor record (9-15) since reaching the Wimbledon semifinals last year means that once July rolls around, her ranking will plummet.