Ninth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer posted a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy on opening Sunday at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open – the third and final clay-court ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament of the season.Though Ferrer dropped serve three times during the one-hour, 50-minute match, he capitalised on five of his 18 break point opportunities to defeat the 43rd-ranked Frenchman for the third time in four meetings.
World No. 12 Ferrer has been in impressive form on clay this season, leading the circuit with a 24-4 record on the surface. He has reached the semi-finals or better in his five previous clay-court tournaments in 2010, with his losses coming each time to the eventual champion.
He earned his place in back-to-back finals during the Latin American Golden Swing, finishing runner-up to Juan Carlos Ferrero in Buenos Aires before clinching the Acapulco title with victory over his countryman the following week, and last week advanced to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in Rome (l. to Nadal). He also was a semi-finalist in Monte-Carlo (l. to Nadal) and Barcelona (l. to Verdasco).
Ferrer will next face the winner between Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis and Swiss Marco Chiudinelli.
Sixth seed Fernando Verdasco will face big-serving Ivo Karlovic in the second round after the Croatian struck 19 aces in a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Kazakhstan’s Evgeny Korolev. World No. 33 Karlovic has a 3-1 record against Verdasco, although this will be their first meeting on clay.
Sunday, 9 May, 2010
Singles - First Round
[9] D Ferrer (ESP) d J Chardy (FRA) 63 76(2)
I Karlovic (CRO) d E Korolev (KAZ) 64 76(5)
J Monaco (ARG) d S Greul (GER) 61 61
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