Ferrero Almost Sets Record in Loss to Ferrer in ATP Acapulco Final

After splitting sets, Ferrer jumped to a 5-0 lead in the third before closing it out 6-1.

"It was a hard fought match," Ferrer said. "We were running a lot out there. The points were very intense from the first game until the last. In the third set I think he started feeling tired and I took advantage of that. I knew he was coming from a sequence of tournaments so I kept pushing."

It was the eighth career title for Ferrer and the first since 2008 when he won on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch and on clay at Valencia.

Ferrer improved to 6-2 in career meetings with Ferrero.

"Our games are very similar and we also know each other very well so there are not many secrets on the court," Ferrer said. "Juan Carlos is a very good friend but once we step on the court we try to forget that and play as hard as we can. I hope I can play many more finals against Juan Carlos. It was a long time since I last won a title. It feels great to win the title in Acapulco."

Ferrero who won back-to-back titles at Costa do Sauipe and Buenos Aires, would have been the firts player to win three titles during the four-week ATP South American tournament swing.

"We were fighting for every point and in the beginning of the third set I thought he played better than me and that was the difference," Ferrero said. "It was a very physical match. The difference from last week in Buenos Aires is that I was not being able to attack him."

The last time two players played in consecutive finals in back-to-back weeks was in 2001, when Gustavo Kuerten defeated Patrick Rafter in Cincinnati, and then Rafter won the following week in Indianapolis.