Ferrer Earns His Place in the Sony Open Men’s Final

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

David Ferrer has earned his ticket to the Sony Open men’s final after a come-from-behind victory…

The 30-year-old Spanish tenista rallied from a set down to beat Tommy Haas 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on Friday afternoon and book his spot in the final of the Miami tournament.

Ferrer wasn’t at his highest level throughout the semifinal contest, but he did manage to take advantage of the German’s inconsistency to claim victory in just over two hours, earning his first-ever berth in the championship match of the elite hard-court event.

In the first set, Haas showed the form that propelled him to a stunning upset of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic earlier in the week, breaking Ferrer’s serve in the fifth game and again in the seventh.

Ferrer improved in the second set, however, and also benefited from a lack of patience on the part of his 34-year-old opponent, whose error count rose quickly.

The final set began with three consecutive service breaks before Haas finally held for a 3-1 lead.

The German would not win another game, however, as Ferrer, the No. 5 player in the world proved more solid in the players’ punishing baseline rallies.

Next up for Ferrer in Sunday’s final will be the winner of Friday’s night match between France’s Richard Gasquet and Britain’s Andy Murray.

Ferrer holds an 8-1 career head-to-head advantage over the Frenchman but has not fared as well against Murray, losing six of their 11 encounters and five of six on hard courts.

Nadal defeats del Potro to Win BNP Paribas Open Title…

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal has extended his career wins record to 600…

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis star rallied from a set and 1-3 down in the second to beat Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in the BNP Paribas Open final 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday, capping an amazing six-month run since he ended his seven-month injury-related hiatus in February.

“Seriously, it’s impossible to have better comeback, no?” he said, smiling. “Happy for everything.”

It’s Nadal’s third title in four tournaments since coming back from a serious knee injury and his first on hard courts since October 2010.

With the win, he improved to a career-best 17-1 start this year, including 14 straight match wins.

“That’s makes emotional week for me,” he said. “Very important victory for me, winning against the best players of the world on a surface that is good for them.”

Nadal will move to No. 4 in the rankings released Monday. He broke a tie with Roger Federer with his record 22nd career ATP Tour Masters 1000 title while earning $1 million for his third Indian Wells title.

“When you have one comeback like I’m having you remember all the low things, lower moments that you had during this seven months, doubts and all these things,” he said. “The doubt when and where you will be able to be back on a tennis tournament is hard.”

Nadal defeated Federer in straight sets in the quarterfinals, then beat Tomas Berdych in two sets in the semis.

del Potro came up short in his bid to defeat three Top-10 players in the same tournament for the second time in his career. He defeated No. 3 Andy Murray and No. 1 Novak Djokovic in three sets apiece in becoming the second Argentine since Guillermo Villas in 1977 to reach the final here.

Nadal Defeats Tomas Berdych to Reach Indian Wells Final

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Following his big win over Roger Federer in the first real test of his comeback to the ATP Tour, Rafael Nadal has earned a ticket to the finals.

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis star rallied to beat Tomas Berdych in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and reach his fourth ATP Tour final in as many events. The final score: 6-4, 7-5.

Nadal, back in action after a knee injury which sidelined him for seven months, has got off to the best start of his career this year with 16 wins and only one defeat, with this latest victory being his 13th consecutive one.

Nadal, seeking his third consecutive Indian Wells title, now meets Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, who defeated Andy Murray in the quarterfinals and Novak Djokovic in the semifinals..

“It’s very, very difficult to imagine something like this,” said Nadal, who has won two clay-court titles this year and finished runner-up in another. “But here we are today, and very happy about all what happened the last month, especially last three weeks,” said Nadal.

“I don’t have nothing to lose after seven months,” Nadal added. “I did much more than what I dreamed. Victories like today, like the other day, helps you a lot for the confidence.”

Nadal Wins in Singles & Doubles at the Chilean Open

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

The King of Clay is putting his sore left knee to the test; and he’s winning…

Rafael Nadal competed in a pair of matches on Friday, defeating his fellow countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-1, 6-4 to reach the semifinals at the Chilean Open and advancing in doubles at the tournament as well.

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis star, back on the tour after a seven-month hiatus due to his knee injury, partnered with Argentina’s Juan Monaco to register a 6-3, 6-4 win against Carlos Berlocq and Leonardo Mayer of the Argentina.

Nadal’s two victories meant he’d played five matches in four days. And while his knee is still hurting, Nadal feels it’s making progress.

“I felt better today than the first day, so that’s a positive thing,” said Nadal. “That’s a thing that gives me confidence and hope for the future that we’re going in the right way. After seven months out of competition, even if I don’t have the pain in the knee, at the beginning you feel slower, you feel more tired than usual so you need time to adapt. That’s the thing. I need time to do it. I still feel pain in the knee some days and that’s something we hope and think will be improving week by week.”

Nadal will play Jeremy Chardy of France in the singles semifinals Saturday. If he advances, he’ll next face another busy day on Sunday with a singles final and the doubles championship against Paolo Lorenzi and Potito Starace of Italy.

Nadal’s is hoping to get back to the top of his game to challenge the tennis’ fellow superstars: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

He took the court Friday with temperatures hovering around 85 degrees in the middle to the South American summer. He is likely to encounter similar temperatures when he plays next week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and later this month in Acapulco, Mexico.

Nadal, who plays next week in Brazil, and later this month in Mexico,said he’s not focusing on the results while he uses the upcoming clay-court events to hone his game. But hisfans expect the King of Clay — he has won 93 percent of his singles matches on the surface — to win all three tournaments and show he’s ready to challenge for a record-stretching eighth French Open title in May.

Nadal Wins First Match at Chilean Open in Return to Competitive Tennis

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is back in winning form…

The 26-year-old Spanish tennis star defeated Argentina’s Federico Delbonis 6-3, 6-2 on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the Chilean Open in his return to competitive tennis after a seven month hiatus due to an injured left knee.

Nadal, ranked No. 1 in the tournament despite his long absence, is hoping to get back into the swing of things before the French Open, where he’ll attempt to win his eighth French Open title.

“For me, Roland Garros (French Open) is light years away,” he said. “All I see is doubles tomorrow and my singles again here on Friday.”

Nadal only won one point on clay in the first two games against Delbonis. But sfter falling behind 0-2, he broke back in the fourth game to tie it at 2-2, racing to chase down several shots in a long rally and showing no fear of re-injuring his knee. He was in control after that, wrapping up the set in 47 minutes.

Nadal breezed through the second set, cheered on by a sellout crowd of 4,500. The temporary stadium for the tournament has been increased by 1,200 seats for fans to see one of the sport’s biggest stars, playing for the first time in Chile.

The former No. 1 again faced questions about his knee after the match, despite saying Tuesday he was tired of talking about it.

“I have to be sure the knee answers well after a long time without playing at the top level of our sport,” he said. “If the recovery goes well and I am able to play week by week at 100 percent, and I am able to practice every day as much as I want — and that happens quick — then we’ll talk about ambitious objectives.”

If not, Nadal said he would have to rethink his game, and probably his knee treatment. So far he has avoided surgery.

“If that doesn’t happen, we’ll talk about different goals,” Nadal said. “Let’s see how things improve in the next couple of months, in the next couple of weeks. Let’s talk in a few weeks, in a few months.”

Nadal said he is playing with some discomfort, and his coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, said it would continue until the end of the month.

Nadal has fallen behind his main rivals — Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray — and now will be scrutinized as he attempts to win his eighth French Open, which starts in late May.

Nadal Postpones Return to Tennis Due to Stomach Bug

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal will not be returning to competitive tennis as soon as he’d planned after all…

The 26-year-old Spanish tenista was scheduled to compete in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Thursday after missing seven months because of tendinitis in his left knee.

But Nadal said on his Facebook page Tuesday that his doctors ordered him to pull out due to a stomach virus and fever, telling him his body needed rest.

“My rehab has gone well, my knee feels good and I was looking forward to competing,” said Nadal.

The 11-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t played since June, when he lost to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon.

The injury prevented Nadal from defending his Olympic singles gold at the 2012 London Games, where he was supposed to be Spain’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony. He also had to pull out of the U.S. Open and Spain’s Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic, which his teammates lost without him.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Andy Murray were also scheduled to play at Abu Dhabi.

Nadal to Play Exhibition Tournament in Abu Dhabi

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Nadal is planning to return to the tennis courts in the next few weeks…

Following a six-month break to recover from a knee injury, the 26-year-old Spanish tennis star says he’ll play in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month.

“Can’t wait to get back on court in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month,” the 11-time Grand Slam champion said on his Facebook page and Twitter account. “I won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in 2010 and 2011 — would love to get my hands on the trophy again this year!”

Nadal began practicing on a court in his hometown of Manacor last month under the supervision of his uncle and coach Tony Nadal and a physiotherapist.

The Abu Dhabi tournament starts December 27 and will feature a six-man field that includes top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Andy Murray.

While Nadal had long been scheduled to play in the event, he was cautious in a radio interview last week about how quickly he could return to full fitness after such a long layoff. Nadal has not played since a shocking second-round loss to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June due to the partial tear of a tendon in his left knee.

The injury denied Nadal an opportunity to defend the Olympic singles gold at the 2012 London Games and forced him to pull out of the U.S. Open and Spain’s Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic.

Ferrer Claims His First Masters Title

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Lucky No. 7 for David Ferrer…

The 30-year-old Spanish tenista defeated Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday to win the Paris Masters and claim his ATP tour-leading seventh title of the year, including titles at the Valencia Open and the Swedish Open.

In a tournament where his usual rivals weren’t standing in the way, Ferrer finally won a Masters final on his fourth attempt.

The fourth-seeded Ferrer, who had lost twice to Rafael Nadal and once to Andy Murray in his previous Masters finals, didn’t have to face a Grand Slam winner this time.

After clinching the win against the Polish qualifier, the typically composed Spaniard dropped to the court, lying face down as he screamed in jubilation. He then sprinted over to hug his coach and girlfriend in the stands.

“I feel the pressure more than him, because I played three times in a Masters final,” said Ferrer if his opponent in the final. “He’s a young player. It was the first final for him, without pressure. ”

Ferrer converted his first match point when Janowicz’s two-handed backhand went wide. Ferrer’s seven tournament titles this season is one more than Roger Federer, who did not attempt to defend his title in Paris.

The tournament was thrown wide open when both Novak Djokovic and Murray went out in the early rounds, leaving Ferrer as the highest-ranked player in the draw.

“I was very nervous because it was my chance to win a first Masters title, but somehow I knew it was my turn,” said Ferrer. “To me this is a dream to win here.”

Ferrer says he’s in the best form of his career, but still believes he’s still some ways from matching the game’s top players.

“Maybe I won more titles than Federer, but Federer won the important titles. Federer or Djokovic or Andy Murray, not me,” he said. “I will try to improve my game.”

Ferrero’s Singles Career Comes to a Close at the Valencia Open

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Its game, set, match for Juan Carlos Ferrero’s singles career…

The 32-year-old Spanish tennis great’s individual career came to an end with a loss at the Valencia Open to fellow countryman and friend Nicolas Almagro.

Ferrero—who announced his retirement from professional tennis earlier this year following the Valencia Open—lost in the first round of the Spanish hard-court event to Almagro by a final score of 7-5, 6-3 on Tuesday.

But it isn’t the end of an era just yet… Ferrero is still alive in the doubles draw after he and partner David Ferrer edged Carlos Berlocq and Alexandr Dolgopolov 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 on Wednesday to move into the quaterfinals.

There’s no denying Ferrero was one of the world’s best players from 2000 to 2003. But injuries began hindering his performance starting in 2004.

He enjoyed most of his success on clay, reaching the French Open semifinals four years in a row and eventually winning the title in 2003.

He also led Spain to its first-ever Davis Cup title in 2000, winning both of his singles matches in the final – played on clay in Barcelona – and clinching the victory with a four-set win over Lleyton Hewitt.

Ferrero, however, did have considerable success on the hard courts, reaching the 2003 U.S. Open final and losing to Hewitt in the final of the 2002 Tennis Masters Cup.

The Spanish tenista won 15 singles titles during his career and briefly held the No. 1 ranking in the fall of 2003.

Following his singles loss, Andy Murray, the world No. 3 and winner of this year’s U.S. Open, congratulated Ferrero on his “incredible career,” while Novak Djokovic, the Serbian world No. 2, said that Ferrero was a great player and that tennis “will definitely miss you.”

Current world No. 1 Roger Federer, who Ferrero described as the greatest player he had ever competed against, said he had known the Spaniard since they were juniors and that he was a “great player” and that the two had faced off in some “amazing matches” during their careers.

Federer, who recently became the first player to hold the No. 1 ranking for 300 weeks, first obtained the top spot after defeating Ferrero in the semifinals of the 2004 Australian Open.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal, who is still recovering from a knee injury that has kept him out of action for months, said being in Valencia for Ferrero’s final match was bittersweet.

“Saying good-bye to one of this country’s greatest players is tough,” said Nadal. “I’m thankful for all the moments we shared together.”

Nadal & Ferrer to Play an All-Spanish French Open Semifinal

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Its official… a Spaniard will compete in the French Open Men’s Championship for the 10th time in 12 years after Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer won their quarterfinal matches on Wednesday.

Nadal scored his 50th match victory at Roland Garros – one more than Swedish great Bjorn Borg’s tally and six short of the all-time record held by Argentina’s Guillermo Vilas – by defeating his countryman Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-3 in two hours and 46 minutes.

More importantly, the win put him within two victories of a record seventh French Open title; Nadal currently shares the mark with Borg.

Shortly afterward, the 30-year-old Ferrer reached the semifinals at tennis’ biggest clay-court event for the first time ever with his 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Scotland’s Andy Murray.

Even though Nadal’s victory was never really in question, the 26-year-old tenista was forced to play his first tiebreaker of this year’s tournament in the first set against Almagro, who put the world No. 2 on his heels at times by unleashing powerful blasts off both forehand and backhand.

But when it mattered most in the tiebreaker, Almagro made a costly error on a drop shot and later lost a 34-ball rally to fall behind 4-0, eventually losing that first-set decider by a score of 7-4.

The rest of the match was then practically a formality considering Nadal’s record at the French Open when winning the first set was 46-0 coming into the contest, although Almagro’s potent shot-making brought out the best in Nadal’s defensive skills.

“You cannot expect to win an easy match in (the) quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, (the) quarterfinals of Roland Garros,” Nadal said in the post-match press conference. (It) was a tough one, but I am through and I am very happy.”

He also looked ahead to his semifinal against good friend Ferrer. Nadal holds a 12-1 career edge in their meetings on clay but he’s expecting a difficult challenge on Friday.

“We (have) played each other a lot of times. His game bothers everybody because he’s one of the best players in the world on every surface – on clay especially,” Nadal said. “He’s a complete player. It’s very difficult to play against him, because his movement is probably the best in the world and he’s able to hit the ball very early a lot of the time.”

Meanwhile, Ferrer used his forehand to dictate most of the rallies in his grueling, three-hour, 45-minute slugfest Wednesday against Murray, shrugging off a second-set hiccup and a half-hour rain delay at the start of the third set.

The world No. 6 wore a big smile after a Murray backhand went wide on match point, thrilled to finally reach the final four of this Grand Slam event after several disappointing losses in previous years.

“My first time in semifinal in Roland Garros, so I feel good,” Ferrer said after his win. “It was a very tough match, and I’m very happy. Maybe it was in important moments I played better than him. I played very good with my forehand.”

Referring to the daunting task that awaits him in the next round, Ferrer said he will “try and play a beautiful match, my best tennis.”

With Wednesday’s results, Spain will be represented in the French Open final for the 10th time in the last 12 years; 2004 and 2009 were the only exceptions.

The victor in the Nadal-Ferrer match will play the winner of Friday’s other semifinal, which will pit world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia and world No. 3 Roger Federer of Switzerland.

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