Snakes n’ ladders: Ferrer flying high
Originally published on: 05/03/12 17:11
Roger Federer may have won his second title of the season in Dubai over the weekend, but it’s world No.5 David Ferrer who has made the biggest indent on the ATP Tour so far this season.
Fresh from beating Fernando Verdasco for the Abierto Mexicano Telcel crown on Saturday, the 29-year-old Spaniard has now won 18 of 19 matches in 2012, securing three ATP titles in Auckland, Buenos Aires and now Acapulco.
The only blotch on his record so far this year is a quarter-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, and the Valencia native has been rewarded for his fine form with a return to No.5 in the ladder after ending Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s one-week stay in his career-high spot.
Ferrer heads to Indian Wells next, knowing he can pick up a good few points in the Californian desert having lost to Ivo Karlovic in the first round last year, before heading on to Miami, where he will need to better his 2011 quarter-final run to further bolster his tally. But Ferrer, who is still a good 3,000 points behind world No.4 Murray in the ladder, isn’t thinking about tracking down the Scot just yet.
“I don’t think too far ahead and take my schedule week by week,” said Ferrer. “Now I have two important tournaments coming up in Indian Wells and Miami, with a few points to defend in Miami. It will be great if I manage to do well, but if not, it is not a big deal. I will keep on working hard.”
Meanwhile Juan Martin del Potro displaced Janko Tipsarevic at No.9 – his highest spot since August 2010 – after his run to the semi-finals in Dubai. The Argentine now holds a 16-4 record for the season, with three of his four defeats in 2012 coming at the hands of Roger Federer.
Fernando Verdasco is back in the top 20 for the first time since August last year after climbing eight spots to No.19 by virtue of his run to the Acapulco final, while South Africa’s Kevin Anderson is up six spots to a career-high No.30 after beating fellow big servers Andy Roddick and John Isner en route to his second career title in Delray Beach.
Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo made the biggest jump this week, hurtling 22 places to No.58 after reaching his first ATP Tour semi-final in 13 months in Acapulco.
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