Two days after winning his first career title in Beijing, the Greek-Cypriot star arrived in the capital on Tuesday night, the same day the military coup was taking place.

He remained inside the hotel throughout Wednesday, not for fear of what was going on outside but to rest his body from exhaustion and jetlag. Yesterday, he was on the courts at the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani for his first hitting practice.

 "I am here early because it's important for me to practise and get ready for the tournament. I have no plans to go sightseeing,'' said the 2006 Australian Open finalist who said he feels secure on his first visit to Thailand.

However, for the whole week he is here, his travelling will be limited to the route between the luxury hotel in Silom where he is staying, and Muang Thong Thani.

Baghdatis' final win over Mario Ancic in China has boosted his confidence and he feels that back-to-back titles are within hand.

"I'm confident and I'm playing good tennis at the moment. My physical condition is good even though I have a slight injury on my left wrist. I want to keep fighting in every match and win,'' added the 21-year-old, who beat Paradorn Srichaphan in a gruelling battle on his way to the final in Beijing.

No matter how fiercely contested was the fight between the pony-tailed Cypriot and the Thai in the semi-finals, off the court both are good buddies. The amity and friendship Paradorn and his entourage have shown on the tour has made a good impression on Baghdatis when it comes to Thai people.

Although he had never been to the Kingdom before, he had already savoured Thai cuisine in restaurants back home in Cyprus, and in Paris, where he grew up. Like most foreigners, Tom Yum Koong and Pad Thai are his favourite dishes.

"I still haven't had [genuine] Thai food. But I will definitely try it this week,'' said the Cypriot, who feels that it is his sweet smile that people recognise him for.

Besides himself, Baghdatis picked Ivan Ljubicic, James Blake, Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin as the strong favourites to win the title. However, he hopes Paradorn can lift the trophy on home soil.

"Paradorn is a great guy. It's my dream to win at home in Cyprus and I think it's his dream as well to win in front of the home fans. I played him last week. He is a really tough player."

Lerpong Amsa-ngiam

The Nation