from Reuters by Pritha Sarkar
21 February 2003

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) – Top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero and defending champion Nicolas Escude hobbled out of the World Indoor Tournament on Friday, leaving the field resembling a battlefield as both joined the casualty list.

Switzerland’s Roger Federer, however, continued his bid for a second consecutive title of the year by steamrollering Dutchman Sjeng Schalken 6-2 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.

Ferrero’s quarter-final ended in agony after he retired with torn ankle ligaments against local favorite Raemon Sluiter while Escude, suffering from the hamstring injury which forced him out of last week’s Marseille Open, limped out midway through the third set against Davis Cup team mate Sebastien Grosjean.

Spaniard Ferrero had a breakpoint for a 3-1 lead when, chasing a Sluiter forehand, he twisted his right ankle awkwardly and fell to the ground grimacing in pain just behind the baseline.
Although ATP trainer Juan Reque massaged the damaged ankle, Ferrero knew it was a hopeless cause and conceded the match.

Close to tears and with his ankle heavily strapped, a devastated Ferrero told Reuters: “This is so difficult to accept. I was playing so well this week but life in tennis is like this.

“I just turned my ankle and that was the end.”

Escude, who was bidding to become the first man to win a hat-trick of titles here, took an injury time out to get his thigh treated at the beginning of the third set, but quit after Grosjean broke him back to level the match. Grosjean advanced with the score at 5-7 7-6 4-4.

“I tried to stay on court and keep my break (in the final set) but when he broke me back, it just wasn’t worth it,” said Escude, who will now miss next week’s tournament in Dubai.

“I wasn’t here just to get into the semis, I wanted the hat-trick. But by the end I felt I had no chance to win the tournament and quit.”