David Ferrer conquers Fernando Verdasco to secure the final spot – Heineken Open 2012
Defending champion, David Ferrer, swept away his compatriot, Fernando Verdasco, in straight sets at the Heineken Open 2012, an ATP World Tour 250 series event held in the second week of January at the ASB Tennis Centre. He penned
down a 6-3, 6-4 success over the third seed to advance into the title-round on Friday.
After battling past Alejandro Falla in a three set thriller in the quarter-final clash earlier this day, top seeded Spaniard maintained his intensity and dumped Verdasco in their thirteenth encounter. Ferrer not only lowered the
trail in the head-to-head series by 6-7 against his compatriot but also reached the final at the first ATP tournament he is playing this season.
Top seed blasted ground strokes right from the beginning of the match and drew the first blood in the second game, eventually going 3-0 up. Later, Ferrer hammered angled shots down the line and kept remaining serves, pocketing
the opener by winning six games to three. He found ten break opportunities and converted one to his advantage to prevail.
Spanish number two, Ferrer carried his winning ways into the final set and smoothly bagged entire serves without facing any breakpoint. He then capitalised on one out of two break chances in the fifth game to seal the success with
a 6-4 score line.
Overall, the higher ranked Spaniard formulated a better first serve share of 66 percent as opposed to Verdasco’s 61 percent and clinched 30 out of 37 points on it. He finished the match by earning 73 points to Verdasco’s 57 percent.
Ferrer will square off against the unseeded Belgian, Olivier Rochus, who upset eighth seeded German, Philipp Kohlschreiber, in a three setter mouth watering match. He required two hours and 28 minutes and after earning this success,
the Belgian levelled the head-to-head series by 2-2 against Kohlschreiber.
The German seed lost his serve twice in the opening set but quickly recovered in the proceeding games. The set went to a tie-breaker where Kohlschreiber edged past the Belgian and earned the spotlight with a 7-6(4) score line.
Rochus bounced back with a fitting reply as he cashed in both break opportunities and reeled off last five games in a row, earning a breadstick. He faced no breakpoint and clinched 14 out of 18 points on his higher first serve share.
In the final set, the Belgian maintained focus throughout the set and after exchanging a break, he broke Kohlschreiber’s serve again in the ninth game, eventually bagging the decider with a 6-4 win.
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