|
Post by Vera on Mar 19, 2003 14:06:19 GMT -5
An article thread. Feel free to put articles and interviews in here for all of us to enjoy. I caught this one which is quite nice, from tennis-ontheline.com.
It was another scorcher in Toronto, with temperatures again in the low 30s. The humidity was not as high as yesterday, so conditions were more a bit bearable. Today we look in detail at a courageous and successful battle by the jet-lagged Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Juan Carlos Ferrero (8) def. Thomas Enqvist, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 1st round Court One Previous head-to-head: Tied 1-1
With all due respect to Pete Sampras and Wayne Ferreira, who waged a three-set barnburner of their on the stadium court this evening (won by Sampras, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4), this was our match of the day. For 2 hours and 51 minutes a large court one crowd was held in suspense by a match filled with twists, turns, and both brilliant and nervous play by both. Ferrero saved a match point before going on to win the thriller. The Spaniard’s effort was particularly commendable given that he was in Austria just two days ago, playing a clay court final. Some of his peers could learn a lesson from the youngster’s professionalism.
This match featured countless blazing, up-tempo rallies. Sometimes Enqvist’s heavier weight of shot prevailed, while other times Ferrero’s foot speed and sudden, rapid-fire baseline attacks were decisive.
The story of the first set was the Swede’s fine play to gain leads, and his inability to hold them. Thomas had a 3-1 lead that evaporated, and he was unable to conserve a 4-2 advantage in the tie-break. Usually, double faults or errant backhands were to blame.
It looked like more of the same in the second set, as Enqvist was unable to serve out the set at 5-4. They went to another tie-break and, you guessed it, Enqvist lost a 4-2 lead through errant groundstrokes. But Ferrero opened the door again at 4-4, shanking a forehand long. This time Thomas’s nerves did not fail him: he nailed a pair of forehand winners to close out the set. The warriors had exchanged 7-6 sets, we headed to the decider.
Ferrero drew first blood with a break in game 3, a three-deuce game that featured three Enqvist double faults. The Spanish speedster looked to be in cruise control at 4-3, 40-15, but you suspected nothing would easily in this match! Enqvist fought back to deuce, and converted on his second break point with a slashing backhand winner.
After an easy Enqvist hold, Ferrero was again in trouble serving at 4-5. At deuce, a wild point ensued, with both players scrambling and retrieving all over the court, and Enqvist finally won it with a running crosscourt forehand. Match point for Enqvist: Ferrero plays a huge point, risking a sharply angled forehand that the Swede barely reaches, but cannot return over the net. Enqvist falls to his back and agonizes. Finally Ferrero holds with a service winner, and it’s 5-5.
More dramatics! 5-5, 40-30: Enqvist makes a forehand error, followed by a deafening Swedish scream. Enqvist wastes two more game points, one on a bricked backhand volley, and another on a backhand error. Ferrero is returning well, making the Swede work hard for every point. Finally the Spaniard earns a break point: Enqvist gets Ferrero running wide and has an open court putaway on his racquet, but drives it into the net. Thomas moans at the succession of wasted opportunities.
So it’s 6-5, Ferrero serving for the match. Enqvist’s hard deep returns give the Spanish “Mosquito” trouble, and quickly he goes down 0-40. Break point #1: Enqvist misfires with a backhand. Break point #2: Ferrero aces Enqvist with a perfectly placed wide serve. Break point #3: An Enqvist crosscourt forehand ticks the tape and lands out of play. Deuce: Enqvist has a good look at a first serve return, but pulls the forehand out. Match point #1 for Ferrero: ace down the middle!
The crowd roars and elated Ferrero gives a double fist pump with an accompanying “VAMOS!” to celebrate a wild and woolly 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 triumph. And Enqvist slumps to his chair, surely meditating about the many chances he let slip away in this marathon.
It will be interesting to see how much Ferrero has left in the tank for tomorrow’s second-rounder against Austria’s Stefan Koubek. Koubek had to struggle for a long time in the hot sun as well today, grinding out a 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 win over the rising young Chilean Fernando González. -------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought I've asked before if this match was a good one for purchase, but I can't remember what the critic says? Becca, you were there, was it good enough?
|
|
|
Post by Jasper on Mar 20, 2003 1:54:18 GMT -5
I was thinking the same thing Vera, that Enqvist match might be a good one to buy...
Second Masters Title for Rapidly Improving Ferrero (21/04/02) By Chris Bowers-Tennis Radio Network
Carlos Moya had warned on Saturday night that when Juan Carlos Ferrero gets hot on clay he's hard to beat, and Ferrero really turned on the heat to win the first all-Spanish final at the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo and pick up his second Masters shield.
In a superb display of precision hitting, Ferrero beat Moya 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to add Monte Carlo to the title he won in Rome last year. It's his sixth ATP title in total, but more than that it denotes a powerful statement that the man from Valencia province is back in business.
Coming into this tournament Ferrero was desperately short of confidence. He'd had a poor hardcourt season and lost in the second round of his one claycourt tournament last week in Estoril.
But then he came back from match point down in the second round against his compatriot Felix Mantilla, won on a final set tiebreak, and he was back on track. He dropped just one more set after that, and while the outcome of the final was influenced in part by a worsening groin strain Moya had been carrying since his 6-1, 7-5 win over Alex Corretja, it's hard to see who would have beaten Ferrero in this form.
The first set was very even, with Moya having the early break points. Ferrero's first didn't come until the 12th game, but then it was set point, and with Moya taking the pace off his hitherto dangerous groundstrokes, Ferrero seized his opportunity to take the first set.
As Moya threw down his racket in disgust, it seemed to signal the end of his chances, and when he was broken to love in the fourth game of the second set Ferrero was in the driving seat.
Moya needed treatment on his groin strain at the start of the third set, and although he went a break down, he went for broke and broke straight back. The strategy worked well until the ninth game, when Ferrero used every available angle to move Moya around the court, and broke to love. Moments later he served out the victory to love, finishing by hitting an unreturnable second serve.
"I think I played a perfect game," said Ferrero. "I did everything that I wanted to do, so I'm really happy."
Moya, who thanked the medical services for getting him fit to play, said he might not have won even if he had been fit. "Ferrero has beaten me the last five times, and four of them I was 100 per cent, but really I wanted to cry on court because I have been looking forward to playing in a big final and there I was with an injury. But I'm happy with my week, and I hope Monte Carlo will be the start of another good run for me."
In the past nine years, four players have used success in Monte Carlo as a springboard to winning the French Open, including Moya in 1998. Ferrero has lost in the semi-finals at Roland Garros in the past two years, but with Gustavo Kuerten still not back on court after hip surgery (he's due back in Mallorca in a week's time), Ferrero looks well placed to become the fifth Monte Carlo champion in 10 years to triumph in Paris.
Fittingly, the first Masters Series doubles tournament to feature Match Tie-breaks was decided on one. Todd Woodbridge and Jonas Bjorkman defended their title by beating Paul Haarhuis and Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 3-6, 10-7. Both Woodbridge and Bjorkman are outspoken critics of the Match Tiebreak system, but they picked up their fifth title together by winning three successive matches on the first-to-ten-points formula.
|
|
|
Post by The Chloe on Mar 20, 2003 2:14:17 GMT -5
Well I have part of it on tape.. I'll rewatch and let you know if it's worth buying or not. I enjoyed it, but I was there. And wow, he saved a matchpoint? I didn't remember that part It must have been on his serve Anyhow... that was my favourite match the whole time that I was there, but you know... I was like, swooning and stuff for 3 hours, and my brain wasn't working as it normally does Ferreira-Sampras was good as well.. I saw almost all of that one as well. Or maybe it was just the last two sets, hmmm. I have this all written down somewhere. Anyhow, as I said, the Ferrero-Enqvist match was quite enjoyable for me, but I'm not that I'm a reliable source It was only my third time seeing him live, and it had been a long year since the first two times, so I was in heaven
|
|
|
Post by Sjengster on Mar 20, 2003 7:54:27 GMT -5
To clarify here - do we have to post articles or interviews that are solely Ferrero-related? Because there are some really interesting ones I've got that have nothing to do with him.
|
|
|
Post by Vera on Mar 20, 2003 14:05:28 GMT -5
To clarify here - do we have to post articles or interviews that are solely Ferrero-related? Because there are some really interesting ones I've got that have nothing to do with him. I was thinking the same, cos I came across some other players' good articles. I prefer to keep this one for Ferrero. But I think it would be nice to post other's so maybe we can destinate another thread to post those. A new thread is in order.
|
|
|
Post by Vera on Mar 20, 2003 14:40:04 GMT -5
This one from 2000, the good old days. Seems like a good match to watch too.
From tennis-ontheline.com
Round 2 Scottsdale 00 - Carlos Moya vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero Having upset Patrick Rafter in the first round, Juan Carlos Ferrero was looking to knock off his second one-week #1 wonder of the tournament. Ferrero was impressive with his accurate pass shots against Rafter so I was looking forward to see what he could do against a player who would not be at the net nearly as often. Ferrero is an unassuming looking player. He even fooled some autograph-seeking kids, who cried out "I told you he was a player!" when he walked onto the Grandstand Court this morning. Practically unheard of before a match, Ferrero was gracious in signing some tennis balls for kids while waiting for Moya to arrive to the court. The 20-year old Spaniard has a couple of nicknames: "Mosquito" due to his physique (or lack thereof I assume) and "Chavalito" or "little kid" among his fellow countrymen. Moya warmly greeted Ferrero upon his entry onto the court.
Moya won the toss and elected to receive. Moya opened the match with three unforced errors giving Ferrero a quick 40-0 lead on his first service game. A couple of forehand errors on Ferrero's part tightened the game but he eventually prevailed thanks to a backhand error by Moya. Moya continued his error-prone ways in his first service game with Ferrero breaking on a Moya forehand that landed in the net. Ferrero showed he could not just hit winners off his forehand when he held his second service game with a backhand volley to Moya's backhand and then hit another backhand volley for a winner. Even this early in the match, Moya was openly disgusted with his performance often muttering to himself in Spanish. Moya did hold his serve but was still one break behind at 3-1 Ferrero. The crowd was impressed with the hard hitting match between the two Spaniards and gasped at times when Ferrero would unleash one of this forehands. Ferrero broke Moya's next service game at his first break point opportunity for a 5-1 lead. Serving for the first set, Ferrero showed a little nerves allowing Moya to get his first break chance against him. But an overhead smash followed by a service winner let Ferrero get a relatively easy 6-1 first set lead.
Ferrero started tentatively in the second set. Three unforced errors allowed Moya only his second hold of the match. Ferrero quickly went down on his first service game with a forehand error and a double fault, but four consecutive Moya misses evened the set at 1-1. Despite Ferrero's drop in intensity from the first set, Moya dropped his next service game with a double fault on break point. Just returning to the Tour from a back injury, Moya's serve clearly was not back to the caliber it was last year when he was closing in on the #1 ranking. Moya's first serve had good speed on it, but he often just spun in his second serves with an abbreviated motion. Ferrero noticed and stood just inside the baseline for the majority of Moya's second serves. With this first break of the second set, Moya violently slammed his racquet to the ground. The players held their serves over the next serve. Moya had a rare easy service game to hold for 3-2, but struggled and allowed Ferrero a second break chance opportunity in the seventh game but eventually held for 4-3. Perhaps inspired by this performance, Moya challenged Ferrero on his next service game. Moya hit a beautiful drop shot winner during this game. One wondered why either player did not employ this strategy earlier in the match. Both players had been slugging often from far beyond the baseline, that a drop shot would almost certainly always be a winning shot. Even the linespeople behind the baseline noticed how far back the players were hitting their groundstrokes as they often had to duck for cover as both players, especially Moya, came within inches of them. Two Ferrero errors gave Moya the break back for 4-4. The players held their serves for the remainder of the set, and then it was time for a tiebreak.
During the tiebreak, both players expended a tremendous amount of energy and effort. The players were hitting their "groundies" as hard as ever and both consistently grunted for the first time in the match. Here is how the tiebreak unfolded:
M: Ferrero hits a forehand winner on the 14th stroke of the rally. Ferrero 1-0. F: Moya takes Ferrero wide with a forehand and Ferrero's forehand land in the net on the 9th shot. 1-1. F: Moya drop shots Ferrero, Ferrero gets its angled crosscourt, Moya replies with a forehand, Ferrero twirls around for a backhand volley, Moya hits a forehand pass winner. Moya 2-1. M: Moya comes into net and hits a forehand volley, Ferrero hits a forehand passing shot on the 9th stroke. 2-2. M: Moya hits deep to Ferrero's backhand, Ferrero replies with a lob, Moya hits overhead winner. Moya 3-2. F: Moya's backhand service return lands in the net. 3-3. F: On the 12th shot of the rally Moya's forehand floats long. Ferrero 4-3. M: A Moya backhand goes way wide on the 3rd shot. Ferrero 5-3. M: A Moya forehand winner on the 3rd shot. Ferrero 5-4. F: A forehand down the line winner for Ferrero on the 3rd stroke. Ferrero 6-4. F: A Ferrero forehand lands just outside the baseline on the 9th shot. Ferrero 6-5. M: Moya's forehand lands in the net following Ferrero's service return. Ferrero 7-5. Another impressive victory for quickly rising Ferrero. The young Spaniard clearly did not have a letdown from his first round win over Rafter or facing his "elder" and more accomplished countryman.
|
|
|
Post by Vera on Mar 20, 2003 14:51:34 GMT -5
Ooooooops, I just realize that there's already an "Articles" thread exists in this forum. Sorry Becca for the duplication.
|
|
|
Post by RogiFan on Mar 20, 2003 15:38:43 GMT -5
Well I have part of it on tape.. I'll rewatch and let you know if it's worth buying or not. I enjoyed it, but I was there. And wow, he saved a matchpoint? I didn't remember that part It must have been on his serve Anyhow... that was my favourite match the whole time that I was there, but you know... I was like, swooning and stuff for 3 hours, and my brain wasn't working as it normally does Ferreira-Sampras was good as well.. I saw almost all of that one as well. Or maybe it was just the last two sets, hmmm. I have this all written down somewhere. Anyhow, as I said, the Ferrero-Enqvist match was quite enjoyable for me, but I'm not that I'm a reliable source It was only my third time seeing him live, and it had been a long year since the first two times, so I was in heaven Rebecca and Vera I was there too going nuts! It was at times a frustrating match but overall a good one -- better than the Federer/Canas match... At the end of the match my sis told Juanqui to "serve an ace!" which he promptly did! He was relieved and very happy -- he hit a ball up into the air before shaking hands w Enqvist. Shortly afterwards, he was besieged by screaming fans!! After that we caught the end of the Sampras/Ferreira match, which was quite "electric"! I'm happy I saw Pete because I believe that at that point in the year, he finally started to have success... it was sort of a turning pt for him. It was very entertaining too! Later I saw Wayne and told him although he lost, it was a good match, and also wished him and Rogi luck in their dbles... then I took his pic!
|
|
|
Post by Vera on Mar 21, 2003 14:45:54 GMT -5
Well, I'll take you guys' words for it that it's a great match. Cos it's not really available in any of the tennis tapes places so I'll never be able to watch the match .
|
|
|
Post by Vera on Apr 23, 2003 13:42:02 GMT -5
Found one from MC, it's from Neil Harman, the guy that RF like. I like him too. He's good to Juanqui:
Ferrero turns on the style with demolition of Martin From Neil Harman, Tennis Correspondent in Monte Carlo IT IS the curse of the modern Spaniard that there prevails a horribly narrow-minded view of them and the way they play the game — humdrum tennis with a ho-hum reaction. Juan Carlos Ferrero is doing his best to change all that but, short of becoming a serve-and-volleyer overnight, how can it be done? He’s tried dying his hair a fluorescent shade of yellow but that didn’t work.
Believe it or not, Ferrero is to Spain every bit the blond bombshell David Beckham is in Britain. His performance in the 2000 Davis Cup final afforded him princely status. When he ventures out in the big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, Ferrero has to be careful where he goes, who he goes with and what is poured into his glass. The third best player in the world behind Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi dare not let his guard drop. It is only when he occasionally goes home to Villena he can become again “Chavalito” — his nickname of “little kid”.
The last time the kid let his hair down — “I really have to do it, even though I am a professional sportsman” — was the week before the American spring events, since when he hasn’t spent a moment on anything but toiling to perfect his enormously powerful game. And from this championship, the Monte Carlo Masters, where he is defending champion and reached the semi-finals yesterday with a 6-0, 6-2 annihilation of Alberto Martin, his compatriot, he will have just one week off until the end of Wimbledon.
Some would say it is a suicidal schedule. “It is too much, of course it is,” Ferrero said, “and there will be a couple of times when I will be happy to lose in the semi-finals. But I must play Barcelona and Valencia — they would eat me if I didn’t — Rome and Hamburg are Masters Series events. Then it is the French Open, some time on grass and then Wimbledon.”
The All England club has been good to him in the past. “I have only played on Centre Court or No 1, I don’t know why,” he said. “Last year, when I was ninth seed, they put me on Centre against Jeff Morrison, of the US. But it is a beautiful experience. Just to walk on to the court, the players wearing the white clothes, everything so right. And last year, (David) Nalbandian reached the finals. He was playing with the same racket as me, the same strings, so why not me?” It does not seem that preposterous that Ferrero may become the first Spanish winner since Manolo Santana in 1966. More probable would be him clinching his first grand-slam title at Roland Garros, where he was beaten in the final in 2002 by Albert Costa.
Ferrero revealed for the first time that he required 45 injections in his ankle during the two weeks in Paris after turning it in practice after his first round. Why didn’t he speak up at the time? “I said something in my press conference after my second-round win about being injured but my opponent (Nicolas Coutelot, of France) said it couldn’t be true when I moved so well, so what was the point saying any more? I know myself how much it took for me to play but when it came to the final, Albert made it impossible for me to get anywhere near the ball.”
After so much anaesthetic in his ankle, other parts of his body began to react. Ferrero has had troubles with his shoulder and his abdominal muscles. Even now, he has to have the ankle heavily strapped before matches. “This game is 50 per cent mental, 45 per cent physical and five per cent tennis,” he said. “If I play (Carlos) Moyà in the final tomorrow, I know his forehand is unbelievably strong and he will make me run a lot. You must be prepared.”
Vince Spadea’s quarter-final victory over Filippo Volandri, of Italy, pushes Tim Henman down to No 32 in the rankings and leaves the Briton teetering on the brink of playing both the French Open and Wimbledon as a non-seed.
To prevent that unpalatable prospect, he has to start winning fast. Source:www.timesonline.co.uk
|
|
|
Post by Vera on Apr 23, 2003 13:44:52 GMT -5
Ok, I totally understand why he needs to play Barca and Valencia. But the schedule still sucks. Maybe next year, the Valencia tourney will shift their schedule just so they don't have to overwork their star? Just a suggestion
|
|
|
Post by RogiFan on Apr 23, 2003 15:03:45 GMT -5
Gracias, muchas gracias a Vera para este articulo!! Yes, I like N Harman -- btw I ordered the latest DC book -- hope it comes soon! Will cost the usual mucho dinero pero, hey, it's worth it, as Alex w say "Y yo lo valgo!" in his L'Oreal commercials.
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on Apr 23, 2003 16:30:56 GMT -5
After so much anaesthetic in his ankle, other parts of his body began to react. Ferrero has had troubles with his shoulder and his abdominal muscles. Even now, he has to have the ankle heavily strapped before matches. “This game is 50 per cent mental, 45 per cent physical and five per cent tennis,” he said. Nice article! I had no idea he was hurting that much. But I did know on final day that he was really hurting when he had 3 different body parts strapped up just so he could go out there. That was perhaps the most heartbreaking part of it all And just think, this year if he's healthy what damage he could do!
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on Apr 29, 2003 21:49:11 GMT -5
Since he now has a home tourney and all Ferrero made to work hard in opening match in Valencia2003-04-29 18:33:36 GMT (Reuters) VALENCIA, Spain, April 29 (Reuters) - Top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero had to work harder than expected to make it into the second round of the inaugural Valencia Open after he took a 6-4 6-4 win over fellow Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Tuesday. Ferrero tried to save his energies after breaking serve early in the first set, but found himself on the back foot as his young opponent responded with some fine stroke play. The 23-year-old Ferrero, who admitted at the start of the tournament that he was still tired after last week's Barcelona Open, then had to stretch himself to make sure the match did not go to a third set. Ferrero, who comes from the Valencia region, will now face compatriot Albert Portas in the next round. Portas had little problem beating Karol Beck of Slovakia on Monday. In Tuesday's other matches Argentine Gaston Gaudio, who is seeded fourth in the claycourt tournament, brushed aside Brazil's Andre Sa 6-1 6-1. But Gaudio's compatriot number six seed Mariano Zabaleta slipped to a 6-1 6-3 defeat against Flavio Saretta of Brazil. Second seed Marat Safin faces Argentine Franco Squillari later on Tuesday. The Russian looks to have found his form after beating Ferrero in the semi-finals of last week's Barcelona Open, before losing the final to Carlos Moya in three sets.
|
|
|
Post by Vera on Apr 30, 2003 1:44:07 GMT -5
He's tired after 2 straight tournaments but he has 3 more to go, oh my .
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 1, 2003 14:32:17 GMT -5
Ferrero safely through to Valencia quarter-finals 2003-05-01 18:39:32 GMT (Reuters) VALENCIA, Spain, May 1 (Reuters) - Juan Carlos Ferrero moved smartly into the quarter-finals of the Valencia Open on Thursday with a 6-4 6-4 victory over fellow Spaniard Albert Portas.
Portas stayed with Ferrero to 3-3 in the opening set before the top seed broke for the first time and consolidated with a love service game for 5-3.
Ferrero, born just outside Valencia and cheered on by a crowd of around 3,000, went on to take the set and broke in the third game of the second.
The world number three had little difficulty holding serve for the remainder of the set to clinch victory.
Ferrero will face a quarter-final clash with Agustin Calleri, the fifth-seeded Argentine who beat Dominic Hrbaty of Slovakia 6-1 5-7 6-2.
Calleri was joined in the last eight by his countryman Gaston Gaudio, who completed a comeback victory over Spain's Galo Blanco after their match had been called off on Wednesday night due to bad light.
Gaudio, who won the title last year when the event was played in Mallorca, resumed on Thursday with the match level at a set apiece.
The number four seed broke in the final game of the decider to clinch a 3-6 6-4 6-4 victory and a quarter-final against Flavio Saretta of Brazil.
The surprise presence in the quarter-finals is the Armenian Sargis Sargsian, who beat Franco Squillari, another Argentine claycourt specialist 7-5 3-6 6-3.
He will take on Christophe Rochus after the Belgian beat Markus Hipfl of Austria 6-4 6-0.
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 1, 2003 22:10:49 GMT -5
CAM OPEN COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA May 1, 2003 Ferrero Boasts Sizzling 14-1 Clay RecordThe top seed overcame Albert Portas on Thursday in Valencia. © Getty Images Top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero improved his clay record this season to 14-1 after defeating fellow Spaniard Albert Portas 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals of the CAM Open Comunidad Valenciana. Clearly the crowd favorite, Ferrero is on track to pick up his second title of the year in his native country. He now meets No. 5 seed Agustin Calleri of Argentina, who needed three sets to fend off Dominik Hrbaty of the Slovak Republic. No. 4 seed Gaston Gaudio also advanced to the last eight after winning the final set against Galo Blanco. With the two players tied at a set apiece, their match was suspended on Wednesday due to darkness. Gaudio now meets Brazil's Flavio Saretta for a chance to advance to his third semifinal of the year. Earlier in 2003, the Argentine reached the semifinals at two back-to-back clay events in Vina del Mar and Buenos Aires. WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Calleri: "We played a lot of beautiful points. It was a beautiful match to watch. I am playing well right now, but not at my best. For sure, I have a lot of confidence. I beat some strong players like Costa, Norman and Robredo last week in Barcelona." Ferrero: "I felt very comfortable in my last two matches. I view it as just one step further. I am not thinking about the final yet. I am delighted with the amount of spectators who came to watch the match today. It's a real motivation playing in front of a home crowd." On his next opponent "Calleri will be difficult. He has had a great clay court season, reaching the semifinals last week in Barcelona, the final in Estoril and winning an important title in Acapulco earlier in the year." "It would be great if Fernando Vicente and I played in the final, two Valencian players." Gaudio: "Galo Blanco has been injured for a while, but it's always complicated to play against him. I knew it was going to be a close match. Yesterday, it just wasn't my day. I found it difficult to get into the match. When I was down 6-3, 4-2, I knew I was in a bad position. Galo played some loose points and I managed to work my way back. I came out there today feeling much better and very focused." Sargsian: "I think the match came down to the player who handled the wind the best. I really didn't deserve to win the first set. I was down a break and started to show signs of frustration. He was the better player, but I was just luckier." "The last time I reached the quarterfinals was in Chennai. I was playing very well in January. Now I don't think I am striking the ball as well as I can. Lately, I have lost a lot of close matches, which affects your confidence. Progressing to the quarterfinals here will only help rebuild that confidence." Squillari: "In the end, Sargsian played the important points better. I am satisfied with the way I played in the two matches here. Valencia has been a good tournament for me. Sargsian served well and raised his game in the important points. I couldn't do enough." FRIDAY MATCHES Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero has not dropped a set thus far at the CAM Open Comunidad Valenciana, but he's set for a challenge on Friday when he takes on another clay powerhouse, No. 5 seed Agustin Calleri. Ferrero is seeking his second title of the year, after winning the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo. He also reached the final in Sydney (l to Hyung-Taik Lee), the semifinals at Barcelona (l to Safin) and the quarterfinals at the Australian Open (l to Ferreira) and at Rotterdam ( l to Sluiter). But Calleri has had similar success on clay this year. The Argentine captured the trophy in Acapulco earlier this year,and reached the final at Estoril (l to Davydenko), the semifinals last week in Barcelona (l to Moya) and the quarterfinals at Vina del Mar (l to Rios). Despite being two of the biggest threats on clay, the two have never met before. No. 4 seed Gaston Gaudio also is slated for play on Friday, meeting Brazil's Flavio Saretta. Gaudio reached the quarterfinals last week in Barcelona, falling to Marat Safin. Earlier this year, he got to the semifinals at Vina del Mar (l to Rios) and Buenos Aires (l to Coria). Saretta's best ATP result this year was a run to the quarterfinals in Delray Beach (l to Gambill). He also won two Challenger events this year in Bermuda and Sao Paulo.
|
|
|
Post by Lee on May 2, 2003 13:16:18 GMT -5
Flawless Ferrero through to Valencia semi-finals 2003-05-02 17:49:00 GMT (Reuters) VALENCIA, Spain, May 2 (Reuters) - Juan Carlos Ferrero clinched a place in the Valencia Open semi-finals with a gritty 6-3 6-4 victory over Agustin Calleri on Friday.
Ferrero, born just outside Valencia and the top seed at his home tournament, took a 2-0 lead at the start of the match only for the Argentine fifth seed to break back immediately.
Calleri lost his serve again in game six to fall 2-4 behind and this time there was no way back, as Ferrero served out for the set.
The two players exchanged breaks again early in the second set before Calleri was broken in game seven.
Ferrero consolidated with a love service game for a 5-3 lead and completed victory to book a semi-final against either Gaston Gaudio, another Argentine clay-court specialist, or Brazil's Flavio Saretta.
"You could see that either one of us could have won that game," Ferrero said after his victory over Calleri. "He came back very well after the breaks at the start of each set.
The second semi-final will pitch Fernando Vicente of Spain against Belgium's Christophe Rochus.
Vicente will be confident of making it through to the final on his favourite clay surface after needing just an hour to beat the Chilean Nicolas Massu 6-3 6-4.
Rochus was equally impressive in his quarter-final win, 6-2 6-2 over Sargis Sargsian of Armenia.
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 2, 2003 18:17:13 GMT -5
Ferrero Boasts Sizzling 15-1 Clay Record Fernando Vicente and Christophe Rochus meet in the other semifinal.
Juan Carlos Ferrero continues to bolster his reputation as the most feared player on clay this season, improving his clay record to 15-1. On Friday, the Spaniard defeated Agustin Calleri 6-3, 6-4 at the CAM Open Comunidad Valencianato to advance to his fourth ATP semifinal of the year. Ferrero began his season on clay at the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo, where he captured the title. A week later, he stormed through the semifinals in Barcelona. And this week, he's now two matches away from claiming his eighth career title in his home country. Ferrero now meets Flavio Saretta of Brazil, who upset No. 4 seed Gaston Gaudio 3-6, 7-6(3) 6-3.
Belgium's Christophe Rochus advanced to his first ATP semifinal of the year with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Armenia's Sargis Sargsian. Rochus attributes his form in Valencia to weeks of practice that have finally manifested in good results. Fernando Vicente also reached the final four with a solid 6-3, 6-4 victory over Nicolas Massu.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Ferrero: "It was a well fought match. There were many breaks of serve and some long exchanges. I was able to put some big serves in and, to be honest, I was playing well. I have now reached at least the semifinals for three consecutive weeks and all I can think about is the title."
"Mentally, I am feeling very strong. Maybe there are patches when the level of my tennis drops, but my game is there."
On his next opponent: "Gaudio is always a tough competitor. He was on the verge of beating me in Monte-Carlo. As for Saretta, I have only seen him practicing. He hits the ball hard."
Calleri: "I knew it was going to be difficult. Ferrero is the best player in the world right now on clay. I felt I played well from the baseline. If I would have made more first serves, the outcome could have been different. Off my second serve, he was attacking me and taking the initiative. If Ferrero maintains his current form, he should definitely win the tournament."
"I felt very welcome here at this tournament and in Spain. My grandmother is actually from Valencia."
"From here, I am going to Rome. I will be playing with a lot of confidence and I expect to get very far. It depends largely on the draw. I could meet a Ferrero in the first round or two."
Rochus: "I've been practicing really well over the last weeks, but haven't been able to convert that form to the matches. Recently, I have lost several close matches, which affected my confidence. Having worked very hard with my coach, everything has fallen into place now. I've had a preferable draw here and been able to take good advantage of it. Reaching the semifinals has built up my confidence."
"I'm playing well. The courts are fast, which suits my game. I can keep the ball flat. My match strategy is to play with intensity and to be constantly aggressive against my opponent."
On playing Vicente: "It's going to be a good match. We have met twice in our careers. I have beaten him and he has beaten me. I'm expecting it to be close."
Vicente: "I played against Massu only a few weeks ago and I knew what to do to beat him again. I played more intelligently than he did, bringing the ball to his backhand, his weakest stroke. I also brought him in by keeping the balls short. He's a player that strives from the baseline."
"It means so much to me to be playing well here in Valencia."
On his next opponent: "It's going to be tough. Both Sargsian and Rochus have always beaten me at ATP level. The courts are very fast here, which suits their game more than mine. I am still going to go out there and give it my best shot."
Massu: "I found it very hard to keep my concentration in today's match. My mind just wasn't there. I made so many elementary mistakes and faults. The match was going quickly. I began to pick up my game but it was too late."
"I wasn't able to put pressure on his serve at all today. I didn't create a break point in the whole match. Mentally, the match was killing me today."
Gaudio: "I had my chances in the second set to win the match, but I couldn't take them. Saretta starting playing much better. It was a close match and the better player deserved to win. I will take a lot from this tournament."
Saretta: "It was a very important victory for me because it was against one of the best players on clay. I played the tie-break very well and from there I found my confidence. In the third set, he tried to break my rhythm by stalling and talking to me, but I was too focused. I was having to fight hard for each game."
On playing Ferrero "Today I beat Gaudio, a better player than me, and Ferrero is even superior, but I will be playing with great confidence from today's match. I have nothing to lose and everything to win."
SATURDAY MATCHES
The question at this week's CAM Open Comunidad Valenciana is simple: Can Juan Carlos Ferrero be stopped?
The Spaniard appears to be in an invincible groove heading into the semifinals against unseeded Brazilian Flavio Saretta, who admits he has nothing to lose in Saturday's match. Not only has Ferrero not dropped a set this week. But he's now reached the semifinals at three back-to-back clay events, winning the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo, then getting to the semifinals at Barcelona, where he lost to Marat Safin. Meanwhile, Saretta's best ATP result this year was a run to the quarterfinals in Delray Beach (l to Gambill). He also won two Challenger events this year in Bermuda and Sao Paulo.
This is the first meeting for the two players.
In the other half of the draw, Belgium's Christophe Rochus meets Fernando Vicente of Spain. This is the first time this year that either player has reached an ATP semifinal. Vicente's best results this year were a run to the quarterfinals in Doha (l to Youzhny) and third round appearances at the Australian Open (l to Roddick) and the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo (l to Alberto Martin).
Up until this week, Rochus has struggled to find his game. He lost in the first or second round at every event he's played. But now, having reached only his second career ATP semifinal, Rochus said "everything's fallen into place." Incidentally, the last time Rochus reached an ATP semifinal was in 2000 at Palermo, where he lost to his brother, Olivier.
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 3, 2003 15:52:19 GMT -5
Ferrero Fulfills Expectations The Spaniard faces Christophe Rochus in the Valencia final
Top seed and world No. 3, Juan Carlos Ferrero advanced to the first final of the CAM Open Comunidad Valenciana, improving his clay record to 16-1. In Saturday's second semifinal, Ferrero defeated Brazil's Flavio Saretta 7-6(3), 6-2 on route to his third ATP final of the year. The Spaniard began the European clay court season by claiming the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo title. The following week, Ferrero continued his clay court dominance before losing to Marat Safin in the semifinals of the Open Seat Godo in Barcelona. Ferrero is only one match away from claiming his eighth career title. In the final, he meets Belgium's Christophe Rochus.
Advancing to his first ATP career final, Rochus ended the chance of an all Valencian final by defeating Fernando Vicente 6-3, 6-2 in the first semifinal. Prior to Valencia, Rochus had lost his confidence and suffered first or second round defeats in every event he had played in 2003. His career best result came in Palermo 2000, where the Belgian lost to his brother, Olivier Rochus.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Ferrero: "It was a hard match. The first set was very equal with some long rallies, but I played the important points well. There were quite a few games where I was done 15-30, but managed to hold. When I secured a break early in the second set things got much easier from there. I think I played well overall."
On playing Christophe Rochus "I played against Rochus in the Davis Cup and beat him easily. I am going to have that match in the back of my mind and I hope to repeat the result tomorrow. It is going to be a great feeling to be playing a final in Valencia and I hope a lot of people will continue to come and support me."
Saretta: "I knew I was going to have to fight as hard if not harder than yesterday to win the match. When I lost the first set, I sensed it was going to be tough to win two more sets. My will to keep fighting hard was tested when he broke my serve in the second set. Every game was intense. With Ferrero, there are no free points."
"I am leaving here with my head held high because I don't think I played badly in any of my matches. I am really happy where my game is right now and I look forward to my next tournament."
Rochus: "I am extremely happy to have reached my first ATP final. I can't say that I am surprised by today's result. I knew I could beat Vicente and I was playing with a lot of confidence having won three matches. However, if you would have asked me before the tournament began, I wouldn't have imagined reaching the final. I was losing in the first round of Challengers and my confidence had hit a low point."
"I knew I could play well and I was practicing hard, but I was missing something. In tennis, there is little difference between winning or losing a match. Now I have found it and I see this and the turning point of my season this year. I know I can beat some good players and my ranking will have improved a lot from this week."
On playing Juan Carlos Ferrero "I think I would have had more chances to beat Saretta, but to play Ferrero in the final is truly a gift. I am going to be playing the best clay court player in the world right now in my first final. For sure, if Ferrero is playing at 100 percent, I won't have a chance. Perhaps if he is playing at 90 or 95 percent and I'm playing at my best, I'll beat him."
Vicente: "He was totally superior to me and dominated the match. It was an irregular match. I was a little bit phased today. He was keeping the balls very flat and I couldn't read his game. I was frustrated. Clearly, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't find any rhythm and he wasn't letting me play my game."
"I am happy to have reached the semifinals. I won three very good matches here and I was playing here with great determination. It has been a great week and fantastic to play at home in Valencia."
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 4, 2003 12:45:05 GMT -5
Ferrero beats Rochus to win Valencia Open 2003-05-04 16:05:39 GMT (Reuters)
VALENCIA, Spain, May 4 (Reuters) - Local hero Juan Carlos Ferrero breezed to a 6-2 6-4 victory over Christophe Rochus to win the inaugural Valencia Open on Sunday.
Ferrero, born just outside Valencia in Onteniente and the top seed at his home-town tournament, broke twice at the start of the match for a 4-0 love lead against the unseeded Belgian.
From then on the result was never in doubt, as Ferrero clinched the first set and moved smoothly into a 4-2 lead in the second to set up an overwhelming victory that completed his record of not having lost a set at the tournament.
It was a second clay-court title of the season for Ferrero, who won the Monte Carlo Masters last month and also reached the semi-finals in Barcelona last week.
The world number three has a lot more work to come, with Masters Series events at Rome and Hamburg in the next two weeks followed by the French Open at the end of the month, and he recognised he would have to watch his fitness.
"I'm making it difficult for myself," said Ferrero. "It is going to be difficult to be at 100 percent for all that time.
"Even now I'm not completely fit. I've still got some problems with my shoulder.
"I'm confident, though. I didn't have to work too hard this week, with all my matches being over in two sets."
Despite being well beaten, Rochus was satisfied after enjoying his most successful week of the season.
"I had four wins over good players and that has given me confidence," he said. "I hope this good run can continue.
"When I fell behind early on I was under pressure and it's very difficult to play Ferrero in that kind of situation. He's the best clay-court player in the world."
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 4, 2003 19:41:35 GMT -5
Ferrero has easy time with Rochus to win Valencia Open Posted: Sunday May 04, 2003 11:46 AM Updated: Sunday May 04, 2003 12:10 PM
VALENCIA, Spain (Reuters) -- Local hero Juan Carlos Ferrero breezed to a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Christophe Rochus to win the inaugural Valencia Open on Sunday.
Ferrero, born just outside Valencia in Onteniente and the top seed at his hometown tournament, broke twice at the start of the match for a 4-0 love lead against the unseeded Belgian.
From then on the result was never in doubt, as Ferrero clinched the first set and moved smoothly into a 4-2 lead in the second to set up an overwhelming victory that completed his record of not having lost a set at the tournament.
It was a second clay-court title of the season for Ferrero, who won the Monte Carlo Masters last month and also reached the semifinals in Barcelona last week.
The world No. 3 has a lot more work to come, with Masters Series events at Rome and Hamburg in the next two weeks followed by the French Open at the end of the month, and he recognized he would have to watch his fitness.
"I'm making it difficult for myself," said Ferrero. "It is going to be difficult to be at 100 percent for all that time.
"Even now I'm not completely fit. I've still got some problems with my shoulder.
"I'm confident, though. I didn't have to work too hard this week, with all my matches being over in two sets."
Despite being well beaten, Rochus was satisfied after enjoying his most successful week of the season.
"I had four wins over good players and that has given me confidence," he said. "I hope this good run can continue.
"When I fell behind early on I was under pressure and it's very difficult to play Ferrero in that kind of situation. He's the best clay-court player in the world."
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 7, 2003 19:24:07 GMT -5
Verkerk Stuns RoddickFifth seed falls but Ferrero, Federer and Gaudio march on in Rome. © Getty Images Ferrero will now meet Gaston Gaudio in round three. Dutch qualifier Martin Verkerk produced another upset at the Telecom Italia Masters in Rome after defeating fifth seed Andy Roddick at the Foro Italico on Wednesday. Verkerk, a winner in Milan earlier this year, recovered from the loss of the first set to record a 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4 victory over last year's semifinalist and reach the third round on what is his first appearance in the Italian capital. Meanwhile, there were no such problems for fourth seed Roger Federer, who continued his winning form with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta. The Swiss star, who captured his third title of the year in Munich last week, has won an ATP-best 33 matches so far in 2003. The 21-year-old from Basel now meets Spain's Tommy Robredo, who wasted little time in overcoming Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela 6-0, 6-2. Robredo reached the quarterfinals in Rome last year before losing to Roddick, although Federer has won both of their previous meetings in Sydney and Vienna in 2002 before going on to win the title on both occasions. Gaston Gaudio produced another impressive display to defeat fellow Argentine Agustin Calleri for the fourth time in five meetings. Gaudio, who knocked out former champion Gustavo Kuerten in the first round, avenged his loss to Calleri in Acapulco earlier this year with a 6-4, 6-2 victory to set up a third round encounter with No. 2 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, who overcame fellow Spaniard Alex Corretja. Ferrero's 6-4, 6-4 victory was his fourth in five meetings against Corretja, and the 2001 Rome champion - who has won titles this year at the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo and Valencia - extended his clay court record to 19-1 for the season. Elsewhere on day three, Yevgeny Kafelnikov advanced to the third round with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Italy's Giorgio Galimberti, while No. 8 seed Jiri Novak set up a meeting with No. 12 seed Rainer Schuettler after defeating Dominik Hrbaty in straight sets. Despite suffering from a fever, Schuettler maintained his excellent form to overcome Wayne Ferreira 7-6(4), 6-2. The German, who reached the final at the Australian Open and the semifinals at the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, had never previously won a match in Rome (0-2) before this year. Kafelnikov, making his 10th appearance in Rome, has never gone beyond the third round. Former finalist Albert Costa also progressed on Wednesday, recovering from the loss of the first set to defeat Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-4. The No. 7 seed, who lost to Marcelo Rios in the final at the Foro Italico in 1998, now meets fellow Spaniard Felix Mantilla for the 11th time in his career (Costa leads 7-3). Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, who reached the final in Munich last week, overcame Estoril champion Nikolay Davydenko in three sets, while Guillermo Coria, a finalist at the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo, recorded a 6-1, 7-6(6) win over Romanian qualifier Victor Hanescu. He now meets Ivan Ljubicic, a 6-2, 6-3 winner against David Ferrer, the Spaniard who knocked top seed Andre Agassi out in the first round. In the final match of the day, third seed Carlos Moya defeated max Mirnyi 6-4, 6-4 to ensure seven out of the eight seeds in action on Wednesday progressed. The Spaniard now meets Yevgeny Kafelnikov for a place in the quarterfinals. WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID: Verkerk: "He always is aggressive. He fights for every ball. I like that. You know, he always wants to win. He wants to serve big. He wants to impress the player, so that I know that he's Roddick and he serves well and he has a power game… You know that you play Roddick because he's tough on the court, he's a big guy. But I try to stay strong, also. Of course I am impressed by his game and impressed by what he has achieved, but today I was fighting against him like man to man, and I won." On his improvement since losing to Roddick at the 2002 US Open: "The main thing is that it's the hard work that you put in in practice and in everything, but a lot has to do also with confidence and with believing in yourself. Because sometimes when you play big players, you think more about the name or about what they've achieved before. Now, I'm more thinking, "It's today and you play today against each other, don't think who's there." I mean, if Sampras is there or Agassi, it doesn't matter. You play a match against somebody. But also the thing is that I make less mistakes and I serve much better. I was serving already like that a year ago, but now the percentage of my serve is much higher. I can serve a whole match now real good and not like one set or a few games. I serve the whole match well. So that's really important for my game also." Roddick: "You know he's got a big serve. But I thought the way he returned and the way he played from the ground was especially impressive. He was hitting every ball, literally almost trying to go for a winner. "I don't think I played great. I had a set and one break, then I played a bad game to let him get back into it. He wasn't playing that great then. Once I let him back into it, he started playing a lot better. I think it was partly my fault for letting him get back into the match. Once he did get back into the match, he just played better than I did. "Coming in today, I thought I was hitting the ball well. You know, like I said, I just played sloppy a little bit and he took advantage. I don't have any excuses. He just played better than I did today." Schuettler: "It's always dangerous when you have break points and you can't convert to win the set. We ended up going to a tie-break, but I really put him away for that tie-break. "It was great for me to win in straight sets. My first match was in straight sets but it was a real tough one, so I was glad to put him away when I did. "Novak is a tough player, maybe he hasn't had the best start to the year, but he's a Top 10 guy and it will be a tough match without question." Federer: "I'm not thinking about winning the tournament yet. It's too far away and the opponents are too tough, you know. So I really have to stay focused and go match for match, you know. Tomorrow is another tough round against Robredo. I've never played him on clay, but, I mean, it seems like he's playing really well. He beat good players on the way. "[Today] was a very good test. I had to work very hard in the first set. I was happy to have won in two sets again because a third set would have taken a lot of energy. "I'm definitely more mature. I explained this to a few people already that I feel much better out on the court now. I feel like I found myself, my inner self, really. Even though I had a dip in the summer, in the two Grand Slams and a couple of Masters Series, but things had happened in my private life which didn't help.But I feel like really since the beginning of last year, I really started to play well and I'm really happy about it. I'm playing consistent. It's true, everybody said I could play well but I'm inconsistent. Now I've proven I can play consistently. It's a big step for me." Costa: "It's always tough to play Clement, he goes at different speeds. One time he's hitting easy then he's hitting hard. He was returning really well, so it was tough. Every match is tough in a Masters Series. I was down after the first but really played a good second set. That was by far my best set. About playing Mantilla: "That's going to be a classic. We know each other very well. We were practicing last week and we even practiced here a little. I think the guy who is going to be more aggressive is the guy who will have the advantage in the match."
|
|
|
Post by Vera on May 27, 2003 23:46:23 GMT -5
No Juanqui interview after Round 1 A post match article: TENNIS Ferrero deals with heavier balls (http://sport.iafrica.com) Tue, 27 May 2003 Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero, last year's beaten finalist, cranked up the power needed to deal with a new heavier French Open ball to reach the second round of the men's singles on Tuesday, with a 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 win over Michel Kratochvil of Switzerland. Ferrero, who 12 months ago suffered a surprise loss to countryman Albert Costa, next meets Nicolas Massu after the Chilean's 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 win over Swedish former finalist Magnus Norman. And Ferrero says he is ready to go one better and capture his elusive first Grand Slam crown. "I felt good throughout the match and I think I played very well, though I am still missing a bit of speed. I hope I can regain it and then I'll be on top of my form," said Ferrero, who has battled a niggling shoulder problem in recent months. The 23-year-old from Onteniente, a member of Spain's Davis Cup-winning squad in 2000 and seeded three at Roland Garros, said Kratochvil had by no means been an easy draw. "He played pretty solid. I had to force myself through to the end. "The balls are a bit heavy. I was training with this ball last week. I have noticed a change this time — it takes more strength to play it. Possibly it takes more effort to make each point — but it's the same for every player." Asked about his fitness, the wiry Ferrero, who last month won the Monte Carlo Masters, said: "I've been free from injury for some months now, so I am not worrying much. I have points to defend. My shoulder feels okay." Ferrero has beaten Massu three times in four previous encounters — the exception coming on hardcourt at Indian Wells in 2001. "Every time against Massu it's been a hard match — it could be a difficult one again. He won't give anything away. He has a lot of aces up his sleeve. I just hope I win," said the Spaniard, known as 'Mosquito', who is determined to learn from last year's final flop, and who is on course to meet top seed Lleyton Hewitt in the semifinals. "I saw a fortune teller — and he said it's my turn this time!" he joked to reporters. "But actually, you can never predict what's going to happen — you just have to play your best." AFP
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 27, 2003 23:59:30 GMT -5
There was some article about a fortune teller on Go Tennis (that I saw but was never able to get to). That intriuged me.
|
|
|
Post by Lee on May 28, 2003 0:23:24 GMT -5
Here's the story!
Fortune-teller tells Ferrero he will win French Open 2003-05-27 15:28:30 GMT (Reuters) By Francois Thomazeau
PARIS, May 27 (Reuters) - Juan Carlos Ferrero eased into the second round of the French Open at the expense of Swiss Michel Kratochvil and then revealed a fortune-teller had told him he would win the tournament.
"I went to see a fortune-teller and he told me it was going to be my year," said the third-seeded Spaniard after his 7-5 7-5 6-4 victory.
If his progress at Roland Garros is to be trusted, Ferrero should be expected to triumph at last, having been a semi-finalist two years ago before losing in the final to compatriot Albert Costa last year.
Ferrero, who retained his Monte Carlo crown this season before pulling out of the Rome final, citing a shoulder injury, said he was no longer in any pain.
The Spaniard, known as 'the Mosquito', had said after losing last year's final that he had been hampered by the same lingering shoulder problems.
"I feel well now, I have been free from injury for some time now and I can play without any apprehension.
"I had to defend my position here but I think I've been playing pretty well even though I'm still lacking some speed and power.
"But I trust I can regain it as the tournament goes on," he said.
Like other players, Ferrero has complained that balls were slow and heavy this year at Roland Garros.
"They require a little bit more effort, but it's the same for every player," he said.
In the next round, he meets Chile's Nicolas Massu, who beat former losing finalist Magnus Norman of Sweden 6-4 6-1 6-3.
|
|
|
Post by Vera on May 29, 2003 17:29:06 GMT -5
Short game for Ferrero May 30, 2003 Third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero eased into the third round of the French Open on Friday after Chile's Nicolas Massu retired with a sprained ankle.
Massu, who sustained the injury during his first round win over Sweden's Magnus Norman, was trailing 6-2 3-0 when he quit.
The 84th ranked Massu received treatment on the ankle throughout the match but having been given the run-around on the slow red clay by a merciless Ferrero, he finally gave up.
"It was bad luck for him but I've gained from it considering I've only played (just over) four sets now," said Ferrero, who beat Switzerland's Michel Kratochvil in the first round.
Ferrero knew what was Massu was going through, having suffered a similar injury during practice in the opening week of last year's French Open.
"I heard something about his injury before the match but you never know what can happen," said the 23-year-old, who was runner-up to Albert Costa last year.
"When I saw him at the beginning, I could see that he wasn't moving well and didn't think that he could really last long."
"Last year I was not well but I persevered and played with a great deal of pain and was able to do it," added Ferrero, who took pain-killing injections to stay in the tournament in 2002.
"I don't know how I did it, but I was so hungry to do well here that I was prepared to fight everything."
Ferrero said he was looking forward to getting some extra time off before his potentially tricky third-round encounter against either Britain's Tim Henman or Todd Martin of the US.
"Henman's improved a lot on clay while Martin has a lot of experience no matter which surface he plays on so it'll be tough either way," said Ferrero.
"Martin perhaps has a stronger game from the back of the court."
But Ferrero was not totally happy and took a swipe at French Open organisers after his second round match against Massu was placed on one of the outside courts.
The Spaniard, who was beaten in the final last year by Albert Costa, is considered one of the favourites for the title after enjoying an outstanding run that has included two titles and two other semifinal appearances on clay this season.
But he was less than impressed on Friday when he found himself on the cramped quarters of the number two court.
"I feel I'd done well before arriving in Paris but I was placed on an outside court so maybe they don't consider me as one of the favourites," said the 23-year-old Ferrero after Massu retired midway through their match.
"To play in the second court is okay but a lot of people who wanted see the match couldn't get in.
"There was a long queue of people wanting to get in so it would have been better if it was on a bigger court.
"I didn't even know before I arrived at Roland Garros today that I was going to be out there."
Source: Reuters
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 30, 2003 17:23:56 GMT -5
French Favorite Ferrero Moves Into Third Roundwww.sportsmediainc.com/tennisweek/index.cfm?func=showarticle&newsid=8835&bannerregion=By Richard Pagliaro 05/29/2003 Juan Carlos Ferrero has never been one to follow the pack. While the two seeds ahead of him — top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt and second-seeded Andre Agassi — have been pushed in some draining duels on the dirt, the third-seeded Spaniard continues to cruise through the Roland Garros draw. The 2002 Roland Garros runner-up led Nicolas Massu, 6-2, 3-0 today when the 84th-ranked Chilean retired with an ankle injury. The win propelled Ferrero into the French Open third round. A straight-set winner over Michel Kratochvil in the first round, Ferrero has played a little more than four sets in two matches and is relishing his current run. "I think it's very bad luck for him, but good luck for me because it's one less match, one easy match for me," Ferrero said. "Third round, playing only four sets; three in the first match, two in the second. You know, I think was great for me today." The 23-year-old Ferrero, who has reached at least the semifinals in his three career Roland Garros appearances, will face either Tim Henman or Todd Martin in the third round. Ferrero will be a strong favorite against either player. "Tim, I think he (has) improve a lot (on) clay court," Ferrero said. "Todd Martin, there is the guy that has a lot of experience here or anywhere. So (it) is going to be a tough match today against (either) player." Widely regarded by many players as the favorite to finally claim the French Open title trophy, Ferrero said he believes his stronger serve makes him a better player than the one who suffered successive semifinal setbacks to Gustavo Kuerten in 2000 and 2001 before falling to compatriot Albert Costa in the 2002 final. "I (have) improved a lot with my serve," Ferrero said. "I think I have more experience in the court in difficult moment, in special moments. I think it's very important." The 15th-seeded Kuerten looked strong in thoroughly thrashing Hicham Arazi, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 and Ferrero said he has set his sights on beating the three-time French Open champion or eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi in the second week of the tournament. Ferrero could potentially play Kuerten in the semis, if Kuerten wins a highly-anticipated possible fourth-round clash with top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt, and would meet Agassi in the final if the seeds held to form. "Agassi is one of these (I would like to play)," said Ferrero, who conquered Agassi in the 2002 quarterfinals. "I think Kuerten is also a guy that I want to beat in clay court. Maybe here because always he won me here in semifinals. I think these two players are the guys I want to beat."
|
|
|
Post by TennisHack on May 31, 2003 17:27:08 GMT -5
Open-Ferrero sees off Henman in France 2003-05-31 17:55:29 GMT (Reuters) PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) - Third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero overcame a challenge from Britain's Tim Henman to ease comfortably into the fourth round of the French Open 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 on Saturday.
The Spaniard dropped the opening set on centre court before slowly regaining control as Henman began to wilt.
The Briton -- four times a Wimbledon semi-finalist -- has never progressed beyond the third round in seven previous visits here and he lacked the tools to improve that record.
After a lively first set, Ferrero settled down and dominated with his groundstrokes to clinch the win.
He will next face compatriot Felix Mantilla.
|
|
|
Post by Vera on May 31, 2003 17:39:34 GMT -5
Henman floored by flawless Ferrero on Spain's great day French Open: Favourite eclipses Briton's bright start to state his title intentionsBy Ronald Atkin at Roland Garros 01 June 2003 It was Spain's day at the French Open, no argument. Juan Carlos Ferrero, the planet's best on these clay courts, was near-flawless in his dismantling of Tim Henman. But the real thunder and drama came on the two other show courts of Roland Garros where, at the same time as Henman was conducting his brave rearguard action, Tommy Robredo and Albert Costa were coming back from two sets down to knock out top seed Lleyton Hewitt and Nicolas Lapentti respectively. Henman encouraged the British contingent among the audience on Court Central, where he was making his debut in his eighth year of competition here, by winning the first set against the willowy 23-year-old artist the Spanish call "the Mosquito". But clay-court class eventually took its toll, and Henman's bid to get into the second week at Roland Garros for the first time was terminated 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 in 10 minutes under three hours. It could, and should, have been quicker. Ferrero, normally such a composed taker of chances, converted only six of the 18 break points he conjured on the Henman serve, and by the end, in the relative cool of the evening after a day of sultry, strength-sapping heat, the British No 1 looked washed out. How different it was in the opening set. Having saved a brace of break points to stay in front at 4-3, Tim went on to break Ferrero and go a set up with a glorious cross-court forehand which dipped across the Spaniard as he charged the net. To top off his disappointment, Ferrero needed treatment for a finger injury, and resumed looking thoroughly miserable. His tennis did not reflect this. There was an immediate break of the Henman serve and Ferrero never looked back, sweeping the second set comfortably and then being content with a single break of serve in the third and fourth sets. But Henman remained upbeat. He said: "I feel my game's moving in the right direction. I'm hitting the ball more aggressively but with more control. Being realistic, the better player won, but I can take a lot of positives from the match today and build on that. "It's still a building process, though, and when I come to Queen's and Nottingham I want to put together more wins. Things have turned around pretty quickly and there has been a big improvement. I'm satisfied that my game is coming around." Ferrero, named by his parents in honour of his nation's king, underlined his position as favourite to go one better this year and win the crown for which he was runner-up 12 months ago. Robredo, in contrast, was named after the rock opera, his father and coach, Angel, being a fervid fan of The Who. If Tommy was a pinball wizard, Robredo proved to be a champion of the bounce-back. Two sets down to a world No 1 who has built ranking and reputation on his fighting qualities, Robredo savaged Hewitt 4-6 1-66-3 6-2 6-3. As if erasing a two-set deficit was not enough, Robredo also trailed 0-3 in the final set, only to sweep the next six games. In what may become the understatement of the season, Hewitt conceded Robredo had "picked up his game a little bit". Robredo put it all down to a mixture of luck and consistency. Poor Costa, the holder of the title, has not yet been considered important enough to merit a place on the main court. But he is in the running for this year's marathon man, having gone the five-set distance in all three rounds and twice come back from two sets down. "I thought this time I was gone," he said after a brutal contest in which he and the Ecuadorean Lapentti ended out on their feet. Source: sport.independent.co.uk
|
|