Alexander Zverev can play like a defending champion – and the villain – it turns out. The third-seeded German, lacking confidence of late, put it all together to knock out David Ferrer 6-4, 6-1 on Wednesday night in Madrid, ending the Spaniard's legendary career that saw him reach No. 3 in the ATP Rankings and win 27 tour-level titles, including 15 on clay.
The late-night Spanish crowd was amped and eager for Ferrer to extend his retirement tour for at least one more match. The packed La Caja Magica showered the 37-year-old, whose historic work ethic made him a beloved player by all, with chants of “Ferru! Ferru! Ferru!”
But Zverev, after a nervy start, played some of the best tennis he's shown all season and began the defence of his ATP Masters 1000 title with a convincing straight-sets win.
The match began a little before 10 p.m., and it had the feeling of a memorable evening. Ferrer raced ahead, hitting everything he wanted and benefitting from a shaky Zverev, who was tentative with his groundstrokes and struggled on serve, double faulting to give Ferrer, who was hopping in between points, the break in the fourth game.
Read More: Ferrer Discusses Retirement, What's Next
After the Spaniard hit a drop shot winner to hold to love for 4-1, he jogged to his chair with his fist raised, and during the changeover, the crowd showered him with “Ferru! Ferru! Ferru!”
But Zverev calmed down and dug in, relying on his defence to break back and win the next five games, along with the opening set. The German was soon into attack mode, whipping crosscourt forehands and pulling Ferrer from side to side, and the Spanish veteran could do little to slow down the three-time Masters 1000 champion, who won 11 of the final 12 games.
Zverev will next meet Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, who won 86 per cent of his first-serve points (36/42) and beat France's Lucas Pouille 7-5, 6-1.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://bit.ly/2HaEcyv
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