David Ferrer
Spain
- Full name David Ferrer
- Birth date April 2, 1982
- Birth place Javea, Spain
- Current age 42 years 23 days
- Height 5 ft 9 in
- Weight 160 lb
David Ferrer announced his arrival on the men's tour in May 2003, when he upset defending champion Andre Agassi in the first round of the French Open. The Spaniard continued his rise in the rankings and two months later broke into the world's top 100, and by January 2006 he had entered the world's top ten.
Such is the domination of Spanish players on the ATP Tour, that despite reaching a career-high of 4 in February 2008, and having been a constant presence in the top 20 since 2005, Ferrer has managed to maintain a low profile.
His greatest moment perhaps came at the 2007 US Open, where he dispatched David Nalbandian and world No. 2 Rafael Nadal to reach his first grand slam semi-final, where he eventually fell to Novak Djokovic.
At a diminutive 5'9", Ferrer is one of the smallest men on the tour, but what he lacks in height he makes up for in athleticism. He lacks a powerful serve but is one of the strongest returners in the game. A clay-court specialist, Ferrer has won titles on all four surfaces - completing the set on the indoor courts in Valencia in November 2010 in front of his home fans.
Career high
After coming from two sets down to beat Radek Stepanek 1-6 2-6 6-4 6-4, 8-6 in an epic match lasting well over four hours, Ferrer sealed a Davis Cup whitewash for Spain in the 2009 Davis Cup final - sealing a 6-4 6-2 win over Lukas Dlouhy with an overhead smash to the delight of the Barcelona crowd
Career low
After breaking into the world top four in 2008, Ferrer endured a tough season in 2009, struggling with knee injuries and failing to record back to back tour victories between August and the end of the 2009 season.
Quotes
"That's fine for me. That's Rafa [Nadal]'s fault. It's normal that he gets a lot of attention with all the success he has." - Ferrer on staying out of the spotlight
"Since I was 12, Agassi has been my idol and I never thought I'd play on the same court as him. When I saw the draw, it was like a dream. Today I played the game of my life." - Ferrer on win over defending champion Andre Agassi at the 2003 French Open
"He doesn't give you a lot of free points. He changes direction well. He moves extremely well out to his forehand side, as well as anyone on [clay]."
Trivia
When he was 17, his coach Javier Piles was so frustrated with Ferrer's poor attitude that he locked him in a dark cupboard. Ferrer quit the sport, only to return a week later.
- Djokovic safely through against Mayer (Jun 25, 2013)
- Nadal 'light years' from Federer's trophy haul (Jun 11, 2013)
- Nadal downplays Wimbledon chances (Jun 10, 2013)
- Ruthless Nadal breaks records at French Open (Jun 9, 2013)
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Ferrer bursts Tsonga bubble to reach French Open final (Jun 7, 2013)
Jun 25, 2013 © PA Photos |
Jun 9, 2013 © AP |
Jun 9, 2013 © AP |
Jun 9, 2013 © Getty Images |
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