Tennis legend Marcos Baghdatis has called on UK travel agents to support his new tennis academy at the City of Dreams Mediterranean in Cyprus and hopes to invite a former elite professional every year.
Baghdatis, who reached the Australian Open final and the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2006, held an event in London last night (Thursday) to promote the Marcos Baghdatis Tennis Academy to the UK travel trade.
The former world number eight told Travel Weekly that fam trips to the Limassol venue would be a possibility in the future, adding that the UK is a vital source market for the hotel and Cyprus in general.
“British people love Cyprus,” he said. “There are regular flights and it’s a great destination for them.”
The 12-court tennis academy held a grand opening event in September last year, during which Baghdatis played a set against eight-time grand slam winner Andre Agassi.
Baghdatis said he hoped to host other former rivals in the future, citing Andy Murray and Tim Henman as among potential guests.
Asked how he would fare against Murray, who he beat at Wimbledon in 2006, he said: “It depends how his hips are.”
Baghdatis, who is manager of the academy, said he would be spending 75% of his time at the site. He has hand-picked the coaching staff and will also lead lessons himself.
John Sinke, sales and marketing director at City of Dreams, said the two-year-old resort’s sports offering would be key to attracting British and European guests.
“When the British go to Cyprus, they go for the beach and maybe a bit of culture, but we’re offering a much more full service in terms of swimming pools, the tennis academy and there will be a golf course opening soon,” he said, adding that an 11-a-side football pitch would be unveiled in due course too.
The resort has 500 rooms set across 42 hectares, which is about a third of the size of Hyde Park.
Baghdatis told guests at the London event that Wimbledon was his favourite grand slam tournament, but the fondest moment of his career was winning match point against David Nalbandian in the semi-final of the 2006 Australian Open.
The Cypriot, who was then aged 20, recalled “feeling like a feather” after hitting an ace down the ‘T’.