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4/24/10 4:49 PM | Ricky Dimon
Fernando Verdasco stages a furious comeback from a set and a break down to beat David Ferrer in the Barcelona semifinals. Verdasco awaits either Robin Soderling or Thiemo De Bakker in the title match.
David Ferrer looked poised to reach his third consecutive Barcelona final. Fernando Verdasco had other ideas.
Verdasco trailed by a set and a break but stormed back to topple Ferrer 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-1 in the semifinals of the Barcelona Open BancSabadell on Saturday afternoon. Ferrer, who lost to Rafael Nadal in each of the past two title matches, went away quietly following a near miss of a straight-set victory and he was put out of his misery after two hours and 36 minutes.
A tight first set saw Verdasco take the first three points of the match against Ferrer's serve. Although the world No. 9 squandered all three break points, he bounced back in the third game and broke at love when Ferrer double-faulted. Verdasco gave the break back immediately for 2-2 and from there both players held serve en route to a tiebreaker.
Verdasco seized a 2-0 lead in the 'breaker, but Ferrer won the next four points to take control. Starting at 4-3, Ferrer won the final three points of the set all courtesy of Verdasco errors.
The 17th-ranked Spaniard maintained his momentum early in the second set and appeared to be on his way to a straight-set upset. Ferrer broke at love for a 3-2 advantage and then held for 4-2, but the turning point of the match came two games later. With Ferrer just two games from victory, Verdasco broke back at 3-4 by capitalizing on his second break point of a four-deuce game when his opponent sent a forehand long.
Three routine holds later, Ferrer's service game at 5-6 went to six deuces. Verdasco failed to convert any of his first four set points, but an error from an increasingly erratic Ferrer on the fifth chance took the proceedings to a third frame of play. Barcelona's No. 8 seed, who had received a warning for ball abuse earlier in the match, destroyed his racket immediately after losing set two.
As a result, the final set started with Ferrer earning a point penalty. And from there it only got worse.
Verdasco further demoralized Ferrer by winning the first five games of the set, breaking serve at 1-0 and 3-0. Ferrer finally got on the scoreboard with a hold at 0-5, but Verdasco was not about to let his countryman back in the match. The No. 5 seed, who faced no break points in the third set, converted his third match point when Ferrer sprayed a wild forehand.
Having finished runner-up to Nadal last week in Monte-Carlo, Verdasco is through to his second final in as many weeks. He awaits either Robin Soderling or Thiemo De Bakker.
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