Article

  • Nalbandian Returns Blowout Favor to Ferrero

    3/20/08 6:28 AM | Ricky Dimon
    - Two months after getting routed in a huge third-round surprise at the Australian Open, David Nalbandian gives Juan Carlos Ferrero similar treatment in the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open. Nalbandian moves on to the quarterfinals with an easy victory.

    David Nalbandian crushed Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday, advancing to the quarterfinals of the year’s first Masters Series event in Indian Wells. In doing so, the Argentine exacted revenge for a humiliating 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 loss to Ferrero at the Australian Open in a match that he was he expected to take without much difficulty.

    This time things were much different, if not completely opposite. Nalbandian sent the message right away to Ferrero that the Spaniard would not enjoy the same kind of picnic he enjoyed Down Under. The No. 7 seed broke his opponent twice in the opening set and lost only five points in four service games. Thanks to flawless play from the back of the court, Nalbandian was not only able to dominate on serve despite putting in just 48 percent of his first deliveries in set one, but he also won more than half of Ferrero’s first-serve points.

    Save for one minor hiccup by Nalbandian on serve, the second set—which he won by the same 6-2 scoreline—progressed much like the first. Nalbandian used an exquisite return game to dominate Ferrero’s serve even though the No. 22 seed put in a much higher rate of first offerings.

    The bottom line is that Nalbandian completely dictated play throughout the afternoon. He was by far the more aggressive of the two players and there was not much Ferrero could do about it. Both men made 20 unforced errors over the course of the match, but Nalbandian fired 23 winners compared to Ferrero’s meager eight.
    Nalbandian advances to the quarterfinals where he will take on unseeded Mardy Fish. The American holds a 1-0 edge in the head-to-head series, but that win came way back in 2003.

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Did you know that... Joachim Johansson and Ivo Karlovic shares the record of most aces (51) in a match.

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