Order of Play
Starting at 7:00 PM
Juan Carlos FERRERO (ESP) vs Luis HORNA (PER)
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Picture from todays match against Cermak
Pic: backhand
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Ferrero Comes Back from the Brink
Top seed survives a second round scare against Frantisek Cermak, while Guillermo Coria continues his sensational form.
Top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero came back from the brink of defeat and saved two match points before defeating Czech qualifier Frantisek Cermak to reach the quarterfinals of the Idea Prokom Open in Sopot.
Ferrero, the current ATP Champions Race 2003 leader, finally came through 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, saving the match points at 5-4 in the second set - the second with a drop shot.
The Spaniard will now meet Luis Horna of Peru for a place in the semifinals. Horna, who defeated Roger Federer in the first round at Roland Garros before losing to eventual finalist Martin Verkerk, recorded a 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 7 seed Dominik Hrbaty. Horna also reached the semifinals in Amersfoort two weeks ago as well as the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires earlier this year.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID:
Ferrero: "It was obviously a difficult match. His level of play in the first two sets took me by surprise. At the beginning, he was so solid. He wasn't making mistakes and was serving very well. It's not normal for someone of his ranking to play so consistently.
"These kind of players find it difficult to close the match out against a Top 10 player. It is normal for them to get nervous. I managed to raise the level of my game very well when I really needed to today.
"It is difficult to decide when to make a drop shot. I use that shot a lot as part of my game. Today, I missed many but on his second match point, it was the easiest shot to make. I was happy to see it glide over the net."
QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW
The quarterfinals of the Idea Prokom Open get underway on Friday with top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero and third seed Guillermo Coria still on course for a semifinal showdown.
Ferrero, who saved two match points in his second round victory over Frantisek Cermak on Thursday, faces Peru's Luis Horna for the first time in the quarterfinals. Ferrero, who needs to reach the semifinals in order to increase his five-point lead over Roger Federer at the top of the ATP Champions Race 2003 Leader Board, now has reached the quarterfinals or beyond in 10 of the 13 tournaments he has played in 2003.
The Spaniard, who has won three titles this year at Roland Garros, the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo and Valencia, now has a 47-9 record. Horna, the 22-year-old from Lima, is 15-16 for the year. He reached the semifinals in Amersfoort, retiring against Massu in the second set after straining his right hamstring, and advanced to the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires, losing to Carlos Moya in three sets. His biggest win of the year came in the first round at Roland Garros, where he defeated Roger Federer in straight sets before losing to eventual finalist Martin Verkerk in five.
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from ATP Insider
->> - IN SOPOT… Over 300 people attended an autograph session by top seed, JUAN CARLOS FERRERO at the tournament's official cafe in the center of Sopot on the Monte Cassino street. Two large screens are also placed in strategic positions around Sopot, featuring five hours of live matches, interviews and guests as part of the special tournament television program bringing tennis outside the gates of the tournament…
After defeating CARLOS MOYA in the first round, ALBERT PORTAS lacked the same touch when he attempted to handle the remote control car in the Mercedes-Benz road rally, unlike JUAN CARLOS FERRERO, who demonstrated his skills beyond tennis…
Starting at 7:00 PM
Juan Carlos FERRERO (ESP) vs Luis HORNA (PER)
------------------------
Picture from todays match against Cermak
Pic: backhand
------------------------
Ferrero Comes Back from the Brink
Top seed survives a second round scare against Frantisek Cermak, while Guillermo Coria continues his sensational form.
Top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero came back from the brink of defeat and saved two match points before defeating Czech qualifier Frantisek Cermak to reach the quarterfinals of the Idea Prokom Open in Sopot.
Ferrero, the current ATP Champions Race 2003 leader, finally came through 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, saving the match points at 5-4 in the second set - the second with a drop shot.
The Spaniard will now meet Luis Horna of Peru for a place in the semifinals. Horna, who defeated Roger Federer in the first round at Roland Garros before losing to eventual finalist Martin Verkerk, recorded a 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 7 seed Dominik Hrbaty. Horna also reached the semifinals in Amersfoort two weeks ago as well as the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires earlier this year.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID:
Ferrero: "It was obviously a difficult match. His level of play in the first two sets took me by surprise. At the beginning, he was so solid. He wasn't making mistakes and was serving very well. It's not normal for someone of his ranking to play so consistently.
"These kind of players find it difficult to close the match out against a Top 10 player. It is normal for them to get nervous. I managed to raise the level of my game very well when I really needed to today.
"It is difficult to decide when to make a drop shot. I use that shot a lot as part of my game. Today, I missed many but on his second match point, it was the easiest shot to make. I was happy to see it glide over the net."
QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW
The quarterfinals of the Idea Prokom Open get underway on Friday with top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero and third seed Guillermo Coria still on course for a semifinal showdown.
Ferrero, who saved two match points in his second round victory over Frantisek Cermak on Thursday, faces Peru's Luis Horna for the first time in the quarterfinals. Ferrero, who needs to reach the semifinals in order to increase his five-point lead over Roger Federer at the top of the ATP Champions Race 2003 Leader Board, now has reached the quarterfinals or beyond in 10 of the 13 tournaments he has played in 2003.
The Spaniard, who has won three titles this year at Roland Garros, the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo and Valencia, now has a 47-9 record. Horna, the 22-year-old from Lima, is 15-16 for the year. He reached the semifinals in Amersfoort, retiring against Massu in the second set after straining his right hamstring, and advanced to the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires, losing to Carlos Moya in three sets. His biggest win of the year came in the first round at Roland Garros, where he defeated Roger Federer in straight sets before losing to eventual finalist Martin Verkerk in five.
------------------------
from ATP Insider
->> - IN SOPOT… Over 300 people attended an autograph session by top seed, JUAN CARLOS FERRERO at the tournament's official cafe in the center of Sopot on the Monte Cassino street. Two large screens are also placed in strategic positions around Sopot, featuring five hours of live matches, interviews and guests as part of the special tournament television program bringing tennis outside the gates of the tournament…
After defeating CARLOS MOYA in the first round, ALBERT PORTAS lacked the same touch when he attempted to handle the remote control car in the Mercedes-Benz road rally, unlike JUAN CARLOS FERRERO, who demonstrated his skills beyond tennis…
