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1/14/12 6:41 AM | Ricky Dimon
David Ferrer beats Olivier Rochus in straight sets on Saturday to win the Heineken Open. It is Ferrer's second straight title in Auckland and third overall.
Not even a few rain delays could stop David Ferrer's reign at the Heineken Open.
Ferrer successfully defended his Auckland title and won the event for the third time in his career on Saturday afternoon, defeating Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-4. The champion, who had to play two matches on Friday due to previous rain delays, prevailed after one hour and 35 minutes.
The difference in the first set came right away, and the first weather-related interruption did not help Rochus. The unseeded Belgian had to return after an hour delay and face a deuce situation in the opening game. Ferrer promptly won two points to break and he never looked back.
Rochus could not halt Ferrer and neither could the rain. The top seed had to come back from a second delay and immediately deal with a break point while serving for the set at 5-3. Ferrer, though, saved it and then held serve to clinch the opening frame of play.
The fifth-ranked Spaniard seemed to be well on his way to the title with a break to begin the second. After trailing 2-0, however, Rochus finally earned his first break of the day and used it to seize a 3-2 advantage of his own. Ferrer quickly righted the ship and earned a break at 3-3, which proved to be decisive. This time the favorite was not about to give away his lead, and he served out the match without any trouble at 5-4.
Ferrer put in only 46 percent of his first serves, but he fired nine aces and double-faulted just once while winning 81 percent of his first-serve points. Rochus, who was unseeded but made a brilliant run to the final that included two wins in third-set tiebreakers, finished runner-up for the second time in Auckland.
"It was the same for both of us," Rochus, 31, said of the rain. "It's the life of a tennis player.... Physically if I am able to still run and play, for sure I will be back next year.
"It's the first time I won three times in one tournament," said Ferrer, who beat Tommy Robredo in 2007 and David Nalbandian in 2011. "For me it's very special."
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Congrats David Ferrer.
schatz , 1/14/12 1:05 PM