ARTICLE Ferrero and Ljubicic reach Vienna final
Former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero overcame third-seeded Radek Stepanek 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to reach the final of the Vienna Trophy on Saturday. The seventh-seeded Spaniard will face fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic, a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory over fifth-ranked Tommy Robredo, in Sunday's final.
"I'm very happy," said Ferrero, who also reached the Barcelona final this year before losing to Rafael Nadal. "I think I'm playing very good tennis. It helped to practise last week indoors at my academy.
"It gave me a lot of rhythm and I came here playing good tennis, and now I'm in the final."
There was little to separate the two players throughout the match, which began with slow-paced baseline rallies as each searched for an opening.
The rallies eventually grew in intensity and Stepanek increasingly serve-volleyed to good effect, but Ferrero was solid at the back and dealt confidently with anything his Czech opponent offered.
LOOKED AGILE
There was only one break point opportunity for each player in the first set. Ferrero earned the first chance when leading 3-2 but Stepanek saved it with a second serve ace.
Then Stepanek earned a break point chance at 4-4, but he was stretched wide by Ferrero and netted a forehand.
The set then progressed to a tiebreak, which Ferrero dominated to win 7-3.
The second set was also evenly balanced, with Ferrero fighting off two break points and then breaking in the next game with a forehand return to lead 3-2.
Stepanek, who had looked agile and untroubled throughout the match, then called for the trainer at 4-3 and had his left leg stretched and massaged.
But the delay did not halt Ferrero's momentum, as the Spaniard held to love and then broke again with a backhand pass to claim victory on his second match point.
"It was very difficult because he serves very fast all the time and it's difficult to read," said Ferrero.
"But anyway, I was returning a lot of points on his serve and finally I could make two breaks in the second set.
"The key was serving good all the time myself and trying to deal with his serve too. I'm 100 percent fit and feel very, very quick, and I reached all the drop-shots that he did. I feel I'm flying on the court."
Former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero overcame third-seeded Radek Stepanek 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 to reach the final of the Vienna Trophy on Saturday. The seventh-seeded Spaniard will face fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic, a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory over fifth-ranked Tommy Robredo, in Sunday's final.
"I'm very happy," said Ferrero, who also reached the Barcelona final this year before losing to Rafael Nadal. "I think I'm playing very good tennis. It helped to practise last week indoors at my academy.
"It gave me a lot of rhythm and I came here playing good tennis, and now I'm in the final."
There was little to separate the two players throughout the match, which began with slow-paced baseline rallies as each searched for an opening.
The rallies eventually grew in intensity and Stepanek increasingly serve-volleyed to good effect, but Ferrero was solid at the back and dealt confidently with anything his Czech opponent offered.
LOOKED AGILE
There was only one break point opportunity for each player in the first set. Ferrero earned the first chance when leading 3-2 but Stepanek saved it with a second serve ace.
Then Stepanek earned a break point chance at 4-4, but he was stretched wide by Ferrero and netted a forehand.
The set then progressed to a tiebreak, which Ferrero dominated to win 7-3.
The second set was also evenly balanced, with Ferrero fighting off two break points and then breaking in the next game with a forehand return to lead 3-2.
Stepanek, who had looked agile and untroubled throughout the match, then called for the trainer at 4-3 and had his left leg stretched and massaged.
But the delay did not halt Ferrero's momentum, as the Spaniard held to love and then broke again with a backhand pass to claim victory on his second match point.
"It was very difficult because he serves very fast all the time and it's difficult to read," said Ferrero.
"But anyway, I was returning a lot of points on his serve and finally I could make two breaks in the second set.
"The key was serving good all the time myself and trying to deal with his serve too. I'm 100 percent fit and feel very, very quick, and I reached all the drop-shots that he did. I feel I'm flying on the court."
