MATCH REPORT Ferrero too tough for Sluiter
He was sick as a dog. Sick as a cat even. Could Raemon Sluiter have felt any worse after last night’s match against Juan Carlos Ferrero? Probably not. Following a deliriously exciting quarter-final match, he was beaten to the post by the Spaniard, who ranks third in the world. Having struggled with the Dutchman throughout the match, Ferrero won 12-10 in de tiebreak of the third and final set. An excellent result for Ferrero, but a misery for the Dutchman. "There is nothing I can do about it now," Sluiter said after the match. And he was right. He’d had the opportunity to win, but failed to step up to the plate.
Sluiter had two matchpoints in the tiebreak at the end of the third set. Seated on the edge of their seats, the spectators did everything to spur him on. Although he survived six matchpoints, and fought to the bitter end, Sluiter was unable to ward off his Spanish opponent. And so Sluiter suffered the same fate as John van Lottum had a day earlier: a titanic struggle, but no cigar. "I gave it all I had", Sluiter commented afterwards, catching his breath. "I know it sounds strange, because I would have given almost anything to win here today, but matches like this make it all worthwhile. I have worked hard for twenty years to reach this level, and all I can do now is retain my current form as long as I possibly can."
Sluiter caught his opponent off-guard during the early stages of the match, and soon pocketed the first set (6-1). However, the match turned during the second set: "He served down the middle to start with, but switched to serving the ball wide. And that’s exactly what he’s good at. He sees that something is not working, and adjusts his game accordingly." The man from Rotterdam couldn’t have been more accurate. The service of both men proved decisive. Although Ferrero’s service became stronger and more varied as the match progressed, Sluiter’s got weaker. "He also played better rallies, and I increasingly felt that he was the stronger player." Sluiter, who ranked 62nd in the world going into the tournament, felt a little embittered after the match. A feeling that will probably gain in strength over the next few days. After all, he made it to the final of last year’s tournament, and his quarter-final defeat will cause his ranking to deteriorate.
Ferrero hopes to catch up with world No 1 Roger Federer, who was beaten by Tim Henman yesterday. His victory over Sluiter will also boost his confidence going into the Davis Cup match against the Netherlands in April. He’s beaten three Dutchmen on their home turf, and will have fallen asleep with a smile on his face last night.
He was sick as a dog. Sick as a cat even. Could Raemon Sluiter have felt any worse after last night’s match against Juan Carlos Ferrero? Probably not. Following a deliriously exciting quarter-final match, he was beaten to the post by the Spaniard, who ranks third in the world. Having struggled with the Dutchman throughout the match, Ferrero won 12-10 in de tiebreak of the third and final set. An excellent result for Ferrero, but a misery for the Dutchman. "There is nothing I can do about it now," Sluiter said after the match. And he was right. He’d had the opportunity to win, but failed to step up to the plate.
Sluiter had two matchpoints in the tiebreak at the end of the third set. Seated on the edge of their seats, the spectators did everything to spur him on. Although he survived six matchpoints, and fought to the bitter end, Sluiter was unable to ward off his Spanish opponent. And so Sluiter suffered the same fate as John van Lottum had a day earlier: a titanic struggle, but no cigar. "I gave it all I had", Sluiter commented afterwards, catching his breath. "I know it sounds strange, because I would have given almost anything to win here today, but matches like this make it all worthwhile. I have worked hard for twenty years to reach this level, and all I can do now is retain my current form as long as I possibly can."
Sluiter caught his opponent off-guard during the early stages of the match, and soon pocketed the first set (6-1). However, the match turned during the second set: "He served down the middle to start with, but switched to serving the ball wide. And that’s exactly what he’s good at. He sees that something is not working, and adjusts his game accordingly." The man from Rotterdam couldn’t have been more accurate. The service of both men proved decisive. Although Ferrero’s service became stronger and more varied as the match progressed, Sluiter’s got weaker. "He also played better rallies, and I increasingly felt that he was the stronger player." Sluiter, who ranked 62nd in the world going into the tournament, felt a little embittered after the match. A feeling that will probably gain in strength over the next few days. After all, he made it to the final of last year’s tournament, and his quarter-final defeat will cause his ranking to deteriorate.
Ferrero hopes to catch up with world No 1 Roger Federer, who was beaten by Tim Henman yesterday. His victory over Sluiter will also boost his confidence going into the Davis Cup match against the Netherlands in April. He’s beaten three Dutchmen on their home turf, and will have fallen asleep with a smile on his face last night.
