2011 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell: Nicolas Almagro vs. Juan Carlos Ferrero – Quarterfinal Preview
Spanish tennis players Nicolas Almagro and Juan Carlos Ferrero will be meeting on the clay courts of the 2011 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell arena on Friday, after both players cleared their third round matches at the ATP World Tour
Masters 500 event to join the last eight at the clay event.
Nicolas Almagro has been playing great tennis over the past few tournaments. The player has already won two clay titles so far, and set fire to the Latin American tournaments by winning both his year to date titles on the Golden
Swing. His efforts seem to have paid off, as his rankings have elevated to send him to the ATP Top Ten. He will officially join the elite of men’s tennis on Monday, when the new rankings are released. This ranking is well-deserved for the Spanish player, who
proved his talent by reaching the Barcelona quarterfinals to face former World Number 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
He will be taking compatriot Fernando Verdasco’s place in the ATP Top 10, as the player exited it not long ago. This was a result of his two consecutive losses to Canada’s new tennis poster boy, Milos Raonic. The Top 10 will now
include three Spanish tennis players, along with World Number 1 Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer.
Almagro seems to realize his position as a player now and the significance of his last match, saying, “I knew that (Thursday's) match could have a special reward. It was the third time I had a chance to get to the Top 10, after
Acapulco and Monte-Carlo first. It's an incredible feeling. There’s no better place to achieve it than in my home club in front of my own people and my family and all the home support. It’s a great reward for myself and the work of my whole team."
While Almagro might be playing the best tennis of his career, the same cannot be said for his quarterfinal opponent Juan Carlos Ferrer. The Spaniard, who once reigned supreme on the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings,
has been playing mediocre tennis for several months now. While he may be able to challenge lesser players at lesser tournaments, Nicolas Almagro seems to be too strong and confident to beat at the moment.
In addition to this, Ferrero is 31 years old – practically a dinosaur in tennis years. He is also recovering from injuries, and this is his first tournament after knee and wrist injuries. Although he has managed to make it this
far, in part due to Andy Murray’s last-second withdrawal, his luck will probably run out at the hands of Nicolas Almagro in straight sets.
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