• Abierto Mexicano Telcel

Ferrero and Ferrer set for final rematch

Juan Monaco receives treatment on an abdominal injury but he eventually retired © Getty Images

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Spanish duo Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer will meet in their second consecutive final, this time in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, after Ferrero claimed honours in Buenos Aires last week.

Ferrero made it through his 14th straight match without loss to reach the decider in Mexico after Argentine opponent Juan Monaco was forced to retire due to an abdominal strain. The first set had gone 7-5 to Ferrero.

"I didn't see he was having problem until he called the trainer," Ferrero said. "I didn't play very well in the beginning but little by little I was putting myself back in the match. I feel bad for Juan; he's a good friend of mine and I hope he can recover fast."

Ferrer was made to work considerably harder against Fernando Gonzales for his berth in the decider, going down in a tie-beak before earning a deserved 6-7 6-0 6-4 triumph. The players exchanged breaks in the even first set but Gonzalez didn't get a sniff on Ferrer's serve after that, creating just one break point opening but failing to convert.

Meanwhile in the women's draw, Venus Williams is in the final as expected but not without a stern test from Edina Gallovits. Williams is susceptible to mid-match drops in concentration and that was the case as she switched off in the second set of a 6-4 2-6 6-2 victory.

It will be 19-year-old Slovakian Polona Hercog in a David versus Goliath final, after she got past Carla Suarez Navarro 6-3 7-5. Hercog is ranked 60 to Williams' No.5, and has no career titles to Venus' 42. She also gives up ten years of experience to the champion American, and it will be one of the upsets of the season if Williams fails to clinch her 43rd career title here.

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