Posts Tagged ‘2004’

from ABC Sport
27 July 2004

Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Toronto Masters campaign ended in agony overnight when he was forced to retire from his opening round match because of a back injury.

The Spanish seventh seed was trailing 2-3 in the first set against Frenchman Fabrice Santoro when he quit after treatment from an ATP trainer failed to cure the problem.

“I hit a return and I started to feel it,” Ferrero told reporters.

“When I was serving I felt I couldn’t still play.”

Ferrero, who missed a month of competition after being diagnosed with chicken pox in March, did not know how serious his injury was.

“I hope to be ready for Cincinnati, but I don’t know,” he said, referring to next month’s Masters tournament before the US Open, the year’s final grand slam.

Ferrero, last year’s French Open champion, has endured a miserable season plagued by injuries, failing to win a title in 2004.

from Deuce Magazine by Jose Higueras
July 2004
Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero has finished in the Top 5 of the INDESIT ATP Entry Ranking in each of the past three years. Only Andre Agassi has done the same. Last year Ferrero became the first player in more than 20 years to win 30 or more matches on both hard courts and clay. What makes him so good? Leading coach Jose Higueras breaks down Ferrero’s game.
Forehand – Ferrero’s ability to penetrate from different parts of the court makes his forehand his biggest weapon. The shot is technically solid, allowing him to change direction with ease to go crosscourt, inside out to the ad court or down the line. He can vary the speed to make his forehand play heavier and higher, or flatten it out to crack the big winner. If presented with a short or mid-court ball on the forehand, Ferrero will likely hit a winner or a forcing shot to make his opponent miss. His ability to find all reaches of the court from that position–with a combination of power and angles–forces many opponents to guess which side he’ll hit to.
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from the official Wimbledon website
25 June 2004

America’s Robby Ginepri created the biggest upset of the men’s tournament so far by dumping the number six seed Juan Carlos Ferrero out in the third round, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

The Spaniard appeared drained by his titanic effort in coming back to defeat Stefan Koubek yesterday and could offer no resistance to the 27th seed, who wrapped up the match in 81 mintues. Ginepri will play last year’s semi-finalist Sebastien Grosjean in the last 16.

The 21-year-old made today’s task look ridiculously simple. He was only briefly troubled in the first set, when Ferrero broke him in the third game. But Ginepri bounced right back with two breaks of his own to take the set 6-3.

It seemed only moments later that he notched up another break and was steaming off with the second set, with Ferrero’s ratio of winners to errors hopelessly off key. Ginepri wrapped it up with an ace and the 2003 French Open champion was two sets down inside an hour. It was all a long way from the baseline slugathon against Koubek.

from the official Wimbledon website
24 June 2004
The number six seed Juan Carlos Ferrero saved two match points to defeat Stefan Koubek 4-6, 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(6), 8-6 in the second round today. For much of the match it seemed that the 2003 French Open champion was destined to become the biggest casualty of The Championships to date. But he held on to win 8-6 in the fifth.
It was a boost to the Spaniard in a difficult season, after his best year to date in 2003. Chickenpox, that least fashionable of adult illnesses, cost him four weeks out in March. Then rib and wrist injuries forced another two-week lay-off in May. His late decision to attempt a defence of his title at Roland Garros ended in second round defeat. Today he was clearly in pain with a thigh injury but held on for a dramatic victory.
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from the official Wimbledon website
21 June 2004
Juan Carlos Ferrero won in straight sets in the first round at Wimbledon today. But the sixth seed was flattered by the 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 scoreline against battling Frenchman Julien Boutter.
Ferrero looked fit and well as he took a one set advantage against Boutter. The Spaniard missed four weeks off the tour suffering from chicken pox in March before sustaining wrist and rib injuries while practising for Hamburg last month.
But he was clearly in a determined mood against the Frenchman as he fought to maintain his record of never having lost a first-round match at The Championships.
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from foxsports.com
20 June 2004

Juan Carlos Ferrero says he’s relaxed, moving freely and over the rib and leg injuries that hampered him this season.

“I’m hitting the ball very good and starting to feel confident physically,” he said Saturday. “I expect I can play good tennis here.”

Ferrero lost a chance to return to the No. 1 ranking when he lost to Roger Federer in the Australian Open semifinals in January.

The Spaniard dropped to No. 5 after a rib injury contributed to a second-round loss last month at the French Open, where he was the defending champion.

Actually, that early exit could be a benefit ahead of Wimbledon, where play starts Monday.

“It’s good. I was practicing for weeks on synthetic grass, and I’m playing well and improving all I can on this surface,” Ferrero said. “I’m still one of the best players in the world, if I can play my best. … I will fight to be at the top again.”