David Ferrer of Spain hits a return against Noval Djokovic
of Serbia during their Mubadala World Tennis Championship
final match at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi last month.
REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah
The defending champion cannot be accused of a lack of
self-awareness.
David Ferrer, Davis Cup hero, No 5-ranked player in the world
and vanquisher of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in the
year-ending ATP Tour finals in London, knows his place in the
general scheme of things.
Yes, he is ranked five in the world; no, he doesn't feel any
closer to extending the club currently known as the Big Four.
"It is difficult, very difficult. Murray, Djokovic, [Rafael]
Nadal and Roger [Federer] are at a high level. Better than
the other players. For me, my goal is to stay in the top 10
and I don't want to think about anything else than that. I
want to focus on the present.''
He agrees with the rankings computer and rates Djokovic as
the hardest player to beat. "He played unbelievably in the
last season,'' Ferrer said. "For me, he's the hardest rival
to beat.''
It must have been gratifying, then, to have tipped him over
at the Tour finals?
"Yeah, I beat him, but I beat him one time. He was a little
bit tired. It was only one match. The important thing is the
season and last year Novak was better.''
Ferrer's English is halting, but there is little ambiguity
about the message: the Big Four can be beaten, but if you
want to join that club you have to be consistently brilliant
on all surfaces and Ferrer, 29, is a notch below that level.
He knows it, but the benefit of time on the circuit teaches
you to concentrate on being the best you can, not to invest
all your energy in chasing shadows. The Spaniard's strengths
are his consistency and, as one of the game's great
retrievers of lost causes, he is especially dangerous on red
clay.
"I think I'm a bit closer to winning a Masters 1000 event,''
he said of the nine top-ranked tournaments outside the four
grand slams and ATP Tour finals, "than a grand slam.''
He will not start his singles action until tomorrow, having
received a first-round bye. He's drawn to face either Czech
Lukas Rasol or compatriot Albert Ramos, who play today. He is
yet to face either so will be doing some study during their
match.
He also teamed up alongside friend and fellow Spaniard Albert
Montanes in the doubles, appearing in the late match on Court
One last night.
This is Ferrer's seventh visit to the Heineken Open.
He has won the tournament twice, in 2007 and 2011, and has
failed to win a game only once, in 2010 when he lost after a
first-round bye to Arnaud Clement.
"I like the atmosphere and the support of the crowd. I play
well here. I've won twice here and of course I like the city.
"It's a good city to start the year.''
- Dylan Cleaver of the New Zealand Herald
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