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Ferrero: “One set too many”

kat — Mon, 23 Feb 2004 06:58:18 +0000

from the official Rotterdam website
22 February 2004

The 31st ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament lasted a little too long for Juan Carlos Ferrero. The Spaniard, who will rank second in the world as of tomorrow morning, had the better opportunities during the second set. He had two breakpoints during the seventh game, but failed to use them.

“Lleyton fought like a lion, and appeared to be incredibly fit. He seemed to be wherever I played the ball. Admittedly, he has played fewer sets this tournament. I had two opportunities, but missed one by hitting a stray forehand and the other by hitting the ball in the net.” Ferrero was disappointed, but not dejected: “I have played several great matches here, and was nearly knocked out of the tournament. Maybe it was simply one set too many.” “Lleyton Hewitt is playing well. He previously ranked first in the world, and he’s on his way back. I feel fully-recovered, and intend to play in Marseille next week, so that I can gain additional indoor experience.’’

Hewitt: “Thank you, Juan Carlos!”
Although he had promised to practise his Dutch, Lleyton Hewitt ended up speaking in English.

“First and foremost I’d like to thank Juan Carlos. He has played excellent tennis all week, and had to fight his way through several tough matches. To top it all, he played another fantastic match today. It was a tough contest, and he refused to budge an inch. Thank you, Juan Carlos!”

“I would also like to thank Richard Krajicek. Several of my fellow-players had already told me this was a fantastic tournament, and it is. Richard Krajicek has done his best for Dutch tennis, and he has done everything possible to make the tournament a success.”

“I additionally want to thank my coach Roger Rasheed for everything he’s done. We’ve played a few great doubles matches together, but above all he has been a fantastic coach.”

“The crowd was fantastic and I take my cap off to them. Although most tournaments attract plenty of visitors, they tend to prefer the semifinals or final. Ahoy’ was also busy on Monday afternoon. It was fantastic to experience.”

Hewitt Halts Ferrero’s Brave Rotterdam Run

kat — Mon, 23 Feb 2004 06:56:52 +0000

from the official ATP Tennis website
22 February 2004

Lleyton Hewitt has charged to fourth place in the INDESIT ATP 2004 Race after stopping Juan Carlos Ferrero’s brave Rotterdam run in the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament final on Sunday. Hewitt collected his 21st ATP title by defeating the Spaniard 6-7(1), 7-5, 6-4.

Hewitt, the INDESIT ATP Race winner in 2001 and 2002, surged to fourth from eighth after collecting 50 points for his second title of the season. Hewitt is now 14-1 on the year, having won the Rotterdam and Sydney titles. His only loss of 2004 came to eventual champion Roger Federer in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

Ferrero, who had won three consecutive third-set tie-breaks to reach the final, improved one place to third in the INDESIT ATP 2004 Race. Ferrero’s toughest victory came in the quarterfinals against Dutchman Raemon Sluiter when he won 12-10 in the third-set tie-break after saving two match points.
In contrast, Hewitt did not drop a set en route to the final despite meeting quality opposition: Fernando Gonzalez, Thomas Johansson, Rainer Schuettler and Tim Henman.

Hewitt, who turns 23 on Tuesday, took an early 2-0 lead in the first set of the final but Ferrero bounced back to force a tie-break, in which he took an early 5-0 lead and eventually won it 7-1. On his way to victory Hewitt broke the Spaniard’s serve in the last games of the second and third set; the only breaks of serve in the remainder of the match.

Hewitt climbs back into the Top 10 in the INDESIT ATP Entry Ranking and will overtake Mark Philippoussis to be the No. 1 Australian by moving into ninth position. Ferrero will retake second place from Andy Roddick, who moved to No. 2 last Monday.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

Hewitt: “It was an extremely tough match. It was never going to be easy, I had to play my best tennis and Ferrero played extremely well. Every time we’ve played against each other we have had very tough matches. This was just another one of those. He is a tough opponent, he doesn’t give you too many cheap points. It was going to be a tough match, I dug deep today and kept fighting. It’s always a pleasure playing Juan Carlos, he is such a great competitor.

“I’m very happy, it was a very high standard match today. The first set could have gone either way, the same with the second and third. From the baseline we were having a bit of a slugfest out there. I just had to try to hang in there and find a way to win.

“I really stepped it up match by match. You look at the five guys I’ve beaten to win the tournament, it’s a pretty good field. I’ve really enjoyed the week. I’m happy to get my second title of the year.

“It’s a great tournament. It’s my first time here and Richard Krajicek has put on a wonderful event. It’s been a real pleasure to play in front of this crowd.”

Ferrero: “I played a lot of sets, I think it was too much. In the third set I wasn’t feeling as comfortable as I had wanted. He had played fewer sets than me and he was playing very good at the end. He was playing very solid with no mistakes. He was fighting all the time like always. It’s always difficult to beat him.

“I’m disappointed but I also think I could have lost in third set of the second or third round or in the quarterfinal so I had a lot of luck this week. To lose in the final 6-4 in the third, of course I am little bit sad but it was a good tournament.”

Ferrero Dethrones Mirnyi

kat — Sat, 21 Feb 2004 07:01:22 +0000

20 February 2004

For the third time this tournament, Juan Carlos Ferrero won a match by clinching the tiebreak at the end of a hard-fought three-setter. The Spaniard beat defending champion Max Mirnyi 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-6 (4). “The way these matches are going, this is fast becoming the toughest tournament of the season for me,” Ferrero said after the match. “I would love to win the final, and would greatly welcome an easy match.”

The Byelorussian was off to a good start, and comfortably held his service. His Spanish opponent found the going much tougher, and just managed to survive three breakpoints in the eighth game. The set went to a tiebreak, which the Byelorussian won 7-2.

Ferrero again proved his resilience and managed to take the second 6-3. Serving for the match at 5-4 in the third, Ferrero found himself at the receiving end of what was arguably the best return of the tournament. Few people were surprised when Ferrero subsequently forced the match into another tiebreak. The Spaniard immediately broke Mirnyi’s service, and used his first matchpoint to secure a place in the final (7-4).
Ferrero: “I have played three very tough matches, and was really pleased to win. I have never played three consecutive matches that were decided by means of a tiebreak at the end of the third set. I had taken a couple of weeks off before the tournament, and I am happy about the way I’m playing at the moment. My muscles aren’t too painful. The only problem with playing long evening matches is that you get to bed in the early hours of the morning. They may have been hard-earned victories, but they have done wonders for my self-confidence. When the chips were down, I have managed to produce my best tennis. That may well be the result of my victory at Roland Garros, but you can never really be certain. Every moment is different, but it makes me more experienced.”

Ferrero played his last indoor tournament in early November. As a result, he is delighted to have made it to the final: “I am not an indoor specialist, and Hewitt is a tough opponent on any surface. He’s a fighter, but we have played some fantastic matches against each other.”

Mirnyi was gracious in defeat: “The third set went with service until I unexpectedly lost my service game. Although I was able to fight my way back into the match, Ferrero suddenly started to serve aces during the tiebreak. I was unable to produce better tennis than I did. I hope to play as well in Marseille as I did here. With a bit of luck I’ll be back next year, but you never know. I’ll certainly take a photograph of the boarding before I leave. Seeing my name among those of former champions is not something I want to forget.”

Hewitt & Ferrero to Clash in Rotterdam Final

kat — Sat, 21 Feb 2004 06:59:22 +0000

from the official ATP tennis website
20 February 2004

Former World No. 1s Lleyton Hewitt and Juan Carlos Ferrero will meet in the final of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

Ferrero won his third consecutive third-set tie-break Saturday to reach his first final of the year, rallying from a set down for the second straight match to defeat defending champion Max Mirnyi 6-7, 6-3, 7-6(4).

En route to the final Ferrero won third set tie-breaks against John van Lottum in the second round, Raemon Sluiter in the quarterfinals (when he saved two match points) and against Mirnyi. In contrast, Hewitt has not dropped a set en route to the final.
The Australian and former two-time year-end World No. 1 continued his domination of Tim Henman, defeating the Briton for the seventh time in seven meetings to advance to his second final of the year. Hewitt won 6-3, 6-3 to improve his 2004 match record to 13-1.

What the players said
Ferrero: “I think I played a really good match from the beginning. In the first set I had the opportunity to win easier. I tried to be focused on my game, and not to relax all match. I know if I could break his serve I could win the set and also the match.”

“I had opportunities to win at 5-4 and serving but he played a very good game. Finally in the tie-break, I think I played really, really good.”

About the final
“He is always fighting a lot, it’s going to be a difficult match.”

Mirnyi: “It doesn’t get much closer that’s for sure.”

“Tomorrow morning I’ll depart playing Marseille, where I hopefully can continue my great form. It was a great week for me with tough matches, which is always helpful. Once you get into that situation again you know what it is like and hopefully I can come through the next time.”

FINAL PREVIEW
Lleyton Hewitt and Juan Carlos Ferrero often meet on the biggest stages. Of their past six meetings, two have been in Davis Cup finals, two have been in post-round-robin Tennis Masters Cup matches, and two Grand Slam quarterfinals. On Sunday the players meet again on another big stage – the final of the AMN AMRO World Team tournament in Rotterdam.

Hewitt leads the series 4-3 and has won three of their past four meetings, including their only previous meeting in a final – Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, where Hewitt won a cracking five-set final.

The players have taken different paths to the final. Hewitt has advanced without dropping a set; Ferrero has won his past three matches in third-set tie-breaks, including his quarterfinal win over Raemon Sluiter when the Spaniard won the tie-break 12-10 after saving two match points.

Hewitt is looking to continue his strong start to the season. Already standing eighth in the INDESIT ATP 2004 Race, Hewitt is 13-1 on the season. He won the Sydney title in January and his only loss came to eventual champion Roger Federer in the fourth round at the Australian Open.

Ferrero is playing his third tournament of the year. He suffered a surprise first-round loss to big-serving Australian Chris Guccione in Sydney but then reached the Australian Open semifinals (l. to Federer).

No. 2 seed Ferrero advances at Rotterdam tennis

kat — Fri, 20 Feb 2004 07:02:30 +0000

from Ticker
19 February 2004

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (Ticker) – No. 2 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain survived a scare Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

Ferrero, who has dropped to third in the world rankings, reached the final eight with a 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (7-5) victory over John van Lottum of the Netherlands. It was the first meeting between the players.

Ferrero is playing in his first tournament since falling to Switzerland’s Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Australian Open.

“I didn’t play my best tennis today but I’m winning matches and I’m in the quarterfinals,” he said. “It’s not easy to play on an indoor court and to play Dutch players in front of their home crowd.”

Ferrero makes solid start

kat — Thu, 19 Feb 2004 07:03:54 +0000

from the official Rotterdam website
18 February 2004

Although Juan Carlos Ferrero lived up to expectations by beating Dennis van Scheppingen, the Dutchman made life extremely difficult for the Spaniard: 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Ferrero was off to a flying start in front of the capacity crowd. He quickly built up a 5-0 lead, which allowed him to take the first set. In contrast, the second set went with service. In the end, Ferrero’s iron nerves prevailed during the tiebreak.

“It was a shame that I had such a poor start” Van Scheppingen said afterwards. “Very few of my first serves landed inside the lines, and I made far too many mistakes. The second set was very different, and I managed to keep pace with Ferrero”. Van Scheppingen is due to play the qualifiers in Marseille next Saturday.

It was Ferrero’s first ATP match following a short break. The winner of Roland Garros sustained a hamstring injury during the Australian Open. “I am very grateful that I was allowed to start on Wednesday. Although my next opponent, John van Lottum, is another Dutchman, I really don’t mind. My aim is to win the tournament.”

Ferrero brushes aside Dutch wildcard

kat — Thu, 19 Feb 2004 07:03:15 +0000

from Reuters
18 February 2004

ROTTERDAM, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Second seed Juan Carlos Ferrero overcame Dutch wildcard Dennis van Scheppingen 6-3 7-6 to reach the second round of the World Indoor tournament on Wednesday.

The Spaniard rarely looked troubled in the opening set as his 98th-ranked opponent tried to settle into the match.

Spurred on by a partisan crowd, Van Scheppingen frustrated the French Open champion in the second set and managed to take it into a tiebreak.

Ferrero was in no mood to hang around longer than necessary, however, and ended Van Scheppingen’s hopes by clinching the tiebreak 7-5 after one hour 23 minutes.

He will next play Romania’s Andrei Pavel.

Ferrero forfeits at ABN Amro tournament after ankle injury

kat — Sat, 22 Feb 2003 06:35:53 +0000

from AP Sports
21 February 2003

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands – Top seeded Juan-Carlos Ferrero of Spain dropped out of the ABN Amro tournament Friday after injuring his ankle during a quarterfinals match against Raemon Sluiter of the Netherlands.

Leading 2-1 in the first set, Ferrero rolled his ankle during a long rally, and fell to the ground, clutching his right leg in pain. After receiving medical treatment, he eventually hobbled off the court.

Tournament doctors said he tore the outer ligament of his right ankle, and that he may also have suffered some damage to a bone in the same leg, near the calf. Tournament spokesman Richard Bezmalinovic said Ferrero will board the next possible flight to Madrid for further treatment.

Ferrero forfeited the match, and Sluiter will now face Sebastien Grosjean in the semifinals Saturday.

Ferrero, Escude Limp Out in Rotterdam

kat — Sat, 22 Feb 2003 06:32:56 +0000

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.”