Ljubicic, Ferrero Fight for ATP Vienna Title
Posted on October 16, 2005Two players hoping for late-season surges moved into the final Saturday at the ATP stop in Vienna, with (7) Juan Carlos Ferrero (d. (3) Stepanek) and (4) Ivan Ljubicic (d. (5) Robredo) posting straight-set victories.
Ljubicic stretched his win streak to 11 matches after a title last week in Metz, and is 1-4 in finals this year.
"To have reached the final in a big tournament like this without losing a set is a great performance," Ljubicic said. "Today I felt much better on the court than in the beginning of the week. I think I have recovered a bit physically."
Ferrero will be looking for his first title in two years.
"I think practicing indoors at home in my academy has helped me a lot," Ferrero said. "It has giving me a lot of rhythm and I came here playing good tennis. It was difficult to return his serve today, but I got a lot of serves back."
Ljubicic has won two of his three career meetings with Ferrero.
"It's going to be a tough one tomorrow because it will be best-of-five," Ljubicic said. "The better player will win, there is no luck involved in a best-of-five match. There will be a lot of tennis and there are no secrets. I will do my things and he will do his."
In the doubles final, top seeds Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor will face No. 2 Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram.
Ljubicic stretched his win streak to 11 matches after a title last week in Metz, and is 1-4 in finals this year.
"To have reached the final in a big tournament like this without losing a set is a great performance," Ljubicic said. "Today I felt much better on the court than in the beginning of the week. I think I have recovered a bit physically."
Ferrero will be looking for his first title in two years.
"I think practicing indoors at home in my academy has helped me a lot," Ferrero said. "It has giving me a lot of rhythm and I came here playing good tennis. It was difficult to return his serve today, but I got a lot of serves back."
Ljubicic has won two of his three career meetings with Ferrero.
"It's going to be a tough one tomorrow because it will be best-of-five," Ljubicic said. "The better player will win, there is no luck involved in a best-of-five match. There will be a lot of tennis and there are no secrets. I will do my things and he will do his."
In the doubles final, top seeds Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor will face No. 2 Israelis Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram.