Baghdatis' racquet is a smash hit!

Whack. Whack, whack, whack. Whack. Whack. Four broken racquets, $1,250 worth of fines and more than 200,000 hits on video sharing website YouTube was all it needed for Marcos Baghdatis to enter Australian Open folklore.

Video footage of the 26-year-old Cypriot's spectacular display of fury and pique in his second-round loss to Stanislas Wawrinka on Margaret Court Arena was broadcast around the world on television before it went viral on Thursday.  

"I haven't seen that," Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic said on Thursday. "I heard about it. I haven't seen that. I'm going to go to YouTube now, check that out."

While Baghdatis's 30-second outburst of incandescent rage actually helped him temporarily turn around his performance before Wawrinka won their encounter in four sets, other players at Melbourne Park had different feelings on the matter.

"I'm not surprised that he broke a racquet," said women's fourth seed Maria Sharapova, whose own expletive-riddled outbursts against umpires and crowds have ended up on the video sharing website.  "Personally I haven't broken too many in my career. Don't recall breaking one during a match. (I) have broken a couple at practice.

"Um, but must be a good feeling. I mean, yeah, just let it all go, I guess."
Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, who said she had smashed a few of her own racquets in her time, expressed a veiled admiration for Baghdatis' effort.

"I do smash racquets sometimes. Last time I smashed not as many, but I smashed three racquets. That was US Open I think ’09," she said. "I lost (the) match after being a match point up. I was quite upset (but) it didn't really make me better, so I decided, 'what's the point'?"

Five-time champion Serena Williams also expressed some admiration at Baghdatis' ability to go through four racquets in quick succession. "I've never done that. That's impressive, wow," said Williams, who has fallen foul of authorities at recent US Open tournaments for her rants against the umpiring. "It's definitely not the best way to release your anger. I think the older you get, you realise there's more different ways."