Juan last hurrah as curtain falls on open

kat — Mon, 30 Sep 2002 11:27:02 +0000

Taken from South China Morning Post – by Alvin Sallay
30 September 2002

Juan Carlos Ferrero will go down in Hong Kong history as the last man standing at the Salem Open. The young Spanish master was numero uno as the curtain sadly came down on the SAR’s 13 year affair with professional tennis at Victoria Park last night.

Ferrero, 22, defeated countryan Carlos Moya to win the 2002 title 6-3 1-6 7-6(7-4) in two hours of baseline tennis, stretched out by long rallies. The crowd called out for more, or was it Mo-ya? but Ferrero was not to be denied his date with destiny.
It will be a date Hong Kong fans will mostly likely not forget. For this is probably the last time men’s professional tennis will be played here under competitive circumstances. The news that Hong Kong will lose out to Beijing next year was a dampener on what should have been a festive last year. “I will miss Hong Kong. It is a spectacular city and the fans are very nice here,” said Ferrero when asked for his reaction to the move.

Moya did not even know about the impending move. “Is it happening?” he asked. Tournament director Lincoln Venancio said it was. “It is a shame. I wanted to bring my parents here next year. When I tell them they will be sad. It is also sad for me. I would have loved to be the last winner in Hong Kong.” said Moya in the post-match interview. That accolade belongs to Ferrero which survived a mid-match crisis, before regrouping smartly and holding hsi nerve at hte crucial tie-break stage. After taking the first set with two service breaks, in the seventh and 10th games, second seed Ferrero suddenly lost his rhythm completely as Moya, the tournament’s third seed came back strongly. He broke Ferrero three times in the second set to take the match to a decider.

“I lost my serve in the second set. I couldn’t get my first sreve working and he played solidly. At the start of the third set, I told myself this was a final and that I needed to fight back. I’m happy I did it,” said Ferrero.

The world number six traded service breaks early in the deciding set with Moya. THe tension built as both players subsequently held service to take the match into the tie-break. Ferrero had an early mini-break, immediately imposing his presence on Moya’s first service to take a 1-0 lead. But Moya made amends quickly as Ferrero dropped one of his next two servies to put the struggle back on equal terms.

The score crept to 4-3 on serve before Moya made a poor drop shot allowing Ferrero, quick as a Ferrari, to pounce on it and smash it away to go 5-3 ahead. Moya kept his next serve, 5-4, but the advantage was now with Ferrero. He won the next point after Moya hit a backhand down the line wide. Then on championship point, Ferrero sent a stunning ace right down the centre line to emerge a delighted winner.

“It was really important for me to win here. I hope this victory will tell the Spanish people back home that we are not just clay court players. The fact that Carlos and I were in the final proves that we can play on hard courts too. This victory will prove that I can win on it too.” said Ferrero.

Moya, who had won four titles previously this year, was dejected. “I gave it my best shot. I lost my momentum in the third set by playing some stupid points. But we both deserved to win, but in tennis there is only one winner,” said the 26 year old Moya.

The victory pushes Ferrero up the ladder in the ATP Champions Race. He arrived in Hong Kong tied with Moya and fellow countryman Alberto Costa in fifth place. Now apart from the winner’s purse of US$51,500, Ferrero also won 35 ATP points to move into fourth position and displace Briton Tim Henman.

“Winning here was only good for my Masters Cup hopes but also for my confidence. All the rest of my tournaments this year are on hard courts and this will be good for my spirits,” said Ferrero.

The top eight players in the Champions Race will play in the lucrative season-ending event in Shanghai in November. Ferrero, however, is looking beyond that. “My goal next year is to start winning some Grand Slams. I’m working hard to become the number one.”

Winning on hard court, whicha few years ago was a surface alien to the clay court gods from Spain, will be a huge boost for the last man standing in Hong Kong.

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Juan last hurrah as curtain falls on open