ARTICLE Ferrero crashes out to qualifier
In one of the biggest upsets ever in the Heineken Open first round, former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero was bundled out of the tournament by Czech qualifier Jan Hernych.
The Spaniard looked a shadow of his former self as he went down 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 6-3 on a sunny Centre Court.
Hernych ended the year at 83 in the world, an increase of 150 places over 2004, but needed to qualify for the Auckland tournament.
The 25-year-old has already played three matches to reach the main draw but was expected to be flying home on Wednesday after drawing Ferrero in round one.
A break apiece in the first set led to the first set tiebreak, which the former French Open champion took with ease 7-1.
Hernych should have folded, after holding two set points at 6-5 in the first set, but he broke Ferrero in game one of the second set, a feat he repeated in the next service game.
With the Auckland audience still shocked at seeing a former Grand Slam champion being humbled by a qualifier, Hernych broke Ferrero again to take the set 6-1.
Both players traded breaks at the start of the final set but again it was the qualifier who ran down every shot, and helped by some poor shot selection by Ferrero, raced into a 5-1 lead.
The crowd were praying for a Spanish comeback, and they were rewarded when Ferrero broke back after Hernych threw away a match point and fired a weak backhand into the net.
Ferrero held his next serve, but after a nervous service game Hernych finally took the match and the applause of the crowd.
In one of the biggest upsets ever in the Heineken Open first round, former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero was bundled out of the tournament by Czech qualifier Jan Hernych.
The Spaniard looked a shadow of his former self as he went down 6-7 (1-7) 6-1 6-3 on a sunny Centre Court.
Hernych ended the year at 83 in the world, an increase of 150 places over 2004, but needed to qualify for the Auckland tournament.
The 25-year-old has already played three matches to reach the main draw but was expected to be flying home on Wednesday after drawing Ferrero in round one.
A break apiece in the first set led to the first set tiebreak, which the former French Open champion took with ease 7-1.
Hernych should have folded, after holding two set points at 6-5 in the first set, but he broke Ferrero in game one of the second set, a feat he repeated in the next service game.
With the Auckland audience still shocked at seeing a former Grand Slam champion being humbled by a qualifier, Hernych broke Ferrero again to take the set 6-1.
Both players traded breaks at the start of the final set but again it was the qualifier who ran down every shot, and helped by some poor shot selection by Ferrero, raced into a 5-1 lead.
The crowd were praying for a Spanish comeback, and they were rewarded when Ferrero broke back after Hernych threw away a match point and fired a weak backhand into the net.
Ferrero held his next serve, but after a nervous service game Hernych finally took the match and the applause of the crowd.
