Misery Injury Year Continues for Ferrero at US Open

Posted on September 3, 2004

Last year's US Open runner-up Juan Carlos Ferrero lost 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 to Stefan Koubek of Austria Friday, sending his ATP Ranking into a free fall.

"I start to feel the pain in my leg, you know," said Ferrero, who suffered yet another injury, to his leg, in the third set. "I couldn't move so well on the left side."

Since reaching the Australian Open semis in January, Ferrero has struggled with repeated injury and illness, the latest of which will send him plunging out of the Top 10 to an anticipated No. 15 or 16 ranking.

"It's frustrating, you can't imagine," Ferrero said of his 2004 campaign. "Of course, I'm not so happy this year because I couldn't play almost any tournament with 100 percent fit."

Ferrero led 2-0 in the fifth before the wheels came off, losing five straight games.

"This year is going to finish soon, you know," Ferrero said. "I want to forget this year."