Tennis: Ferrer hopes Auckland win repeats the trick

Ferrer hopes second Auckland win as good an omen as his first Heineken Open title in 2007. Photo / Getty Images

David Ferrer heads into the rest of 2011 hoping his second Heineken Open tennis title in Auckland will be the precursor to the same form that his first was.

Ferrer won the Auckland title 6-4 6-2 yesterday over an error-prone David Nalbandian of Argentina in a final which lasted just 68 minutes.

His first Auckland title - a win over Tommy Robredo in 2007 - set the tone for what would be Ferrer's best year, one which he ended as number five in the world.

He currently sits at number seven after 2010 proved to be his second most successful year, though he thinks it might be harder for 2011 to be as successful as 2007.

"It's difficult because at this moment the top five are playing really good," he said.

"The title win was important because 2007 was the best year of my career. For my mentality and for me it's special to win but I don't know if I will do the same like 2007. Now we will see for the next tournament."

Ferrer has certainly had difficulty with the top two in world tennis, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

He has never beaten Federer in 11 matches, including three on clay, his best surface, and he has won just three of his 14 matches against Nadal.

He also has a less than ideal record against world number four Robin Soderling (four wins and nine losses), though two of those wins came last year.

However, he does have a close record against third-ranked Novak Djokovic (4-5), and he has a winning record (3-2) over world number five Andy Murray - something Federer cannot claim.

Nalbandian said it would be difficult for Ferrer to break into the elite of the sport but did not rule it out.

"I don't know, it's tough to be up there," he said when asked of Ferrer's chances of making the top five. "I think everybody has chances but you have to play consistent all the year, that's not easy."

Ferrer does not have the weapons in his shotmaking that the top players have but he has great speed, is seemingly able to run all day, and has an ability to get balls back that most other players do not.

The knowledge that Ferrer might get your best shot back can test the patience of some players and force them to take chances to hit winners, something that seemed to happen to Nalbandian yesterday.

"Sometimes I missed easy shots on the break points -- I missed an easy backhand down the line in the first set," Nalbandian said.

"Then I tried to take risks, and it doesn't work."

Ferrer flew out of Auckland last night for the Australian Open, in which he will play 2006 Heineken Open champion Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in the first round.

"He's a strong player. He plays good in the baseline, and he has a good backhand. I think it will be a longer match than this one," Ferrer said.

Ferrer made the last 16 in the Australian Open following his Auckland success in 2007, when he went down to American Mardy Fish.

His best performance in Melbourne was a quarterfinal defeat in 2008 to eventual champion Djokovic.

If all goes to plan for him and Nalbandian they could meet as soon as the third round.

Nalbandian will first though have to topple the man who beat him in the final of Wimbledon in 2002 -- Australia's Lleyton Hewitt -- in the first round -- a match Nalbandian said it was "too far away" to think about after his loss yesterday.

Nalbandian's best effort in Melbourne was a semifinal defeat in 2006 to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. Nalbandian reached his career high ranking of three shortly afterwards.

Nalbandian is likely to improve from 27 to about 22 or 23 after his performance in Auckland this week and Ferrer was in no doubt Nalbandian would be back in the top 10 before too long.

"He's a player with great talent. Last year he had injury a lot of time," Ferrer said.

"I think this year if he doesn't have any physical problems, he can do it. Me and the other players think Nalbandian's a top player."

Ferrer has now played in Auckland seven times, the last six in a row, and he could see no reason why he would not return again in 2012.

"I like to play the second week of the season and I like the tournament, the people support me a lot," he said.

"When I like one tournament normally I come back again."

- NZPA