Cypriot tennis legend Marcos Baghdatis is to play a one-off exhibition match against former world number one Andre Agassi in Limassol in September.
The match will mark the opening of the Marcos Baghdatis Tennis Academy, which will be located on the site of the City of Dreams Mediterranean resort.
As well as the tennis match, the day will also feature what the City of Dreams Mediterranean described as a “variety of exciting activities, surprises, and the chance to win exclusive prizes”.
The resort’s general manager Grant Johnson said, “it is our great pleasure to be hosting a match between these two great athletes to celebrate the official opening of the Marcos Baghdatis Tennis Academy.”
“The tennis showdown will be a truly unforgettable event, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Cyprus sport. The academy represents an important milestone for our resort and the tennis community,” he added.
He went on to say that with Baghdatis’ support, the resort is “committed to providing a platform where future tennis stars can develop, and where the local community can enjoy tennis.”
Born in the Limassol district village of Paramytha in 1985, Baghdatis rose to near the top of the game, winning the Junior Australian Open in 2003 before turning professional the same year.
Three years later, he reached the final of the full version of the Melbourne tournament, winning the first set against Roger Federer, before eventually succumbing to a three-sets-to-one defeat.
Later that year, he reached the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championships, but was beaten in straight sets by eventual runner-up Rafael Nadal.
He achieved his highest ranking of eighth in the world in August 2006, though struggled with injuries throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s. He retired in 2019, with his final match being a defeat to Matteo Berrettini in the second round of that year’s Wimbledon.
He also won four singles titles on the ATP Tour, claiming the 2006 China Open, the 2007 Zagreb Indoors tournament in Croatia, the 2009 Stockholm Open in Sweden, and the 2010 Sydney International in Australia, while also winning the 2012 Zagreb Indoors doubles tournament alongside his Russian partner Michail Youzhny.
He also excelled for Cyprus’ national team, making his first Davis Cup appearance in 2000, aged just 14.
In 2016, he broke Bjorn Borg’s record of the longest ever winning streak in Davis Cup matches, winning a total of 36 matches in a row for the Cyprus national team.
Agassi, meanwhile, is a legend of the game. The American has a total of eight grand slams, winning the Australian Open four times, the US Open twice, and the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships once each. The American is the second of five men in the Open Era to achieve the Career Grand Slam.
Additionally, he won a gold medal at his home Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, while also winning three Davis Cups for the US national team.
Baghdatis and Agassi have history. The second-round contest between them at the US Open in 2006 wasn’t just any match. It was the 870th, and final, victory of Agassi’s 21-year career, and it was a five-set, four-hour epic that left the two men lying next to each other on twin stretchers in the trainers’ room at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Agassi married German tennis icon Steffi Graf in October 2001, and the couple have two children together.
Those wishing to buy tickets for the match are encouraged to call 25086686 or email ticketing@melco-resorts.com.cy
