Ferrer to meet Kohlschreiber in Auckland final
Defending champion David Ferrer cruised into the final of the ATP
Auckland tournament against an injured Gael Monfils on Friday, setting
up a decider against in-form Philipp Kohlschreiber.
The Spanish top seed defeated Monfils 6-1, 6-2 after the Frenchman,
making a comeback after a knee injury that marred his 2012 season,
suffered a hamstring strain in the semi-final of the warm-up for next
week's Australian Open.
Ferrer will meet Kohlschreiber in the final after the German second
seed downed American Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), giving the world number
five the chance to equal Australian Roy Emerson's record of four
Auckland titles.
Monfils, backing up from a draining win over third seed Tommy Haas on
Thursday, lost his first service game to Ferrer before calling for the
trainer, receiving strapping to his left thigh.
Moving gingerly around the court, the former world number seven had
the strapping removed two games later but could not find a way into the
set, with Ferrer breaking again to win the set 6-1.
The Frenchman rattled off three aces to take the first game of the
second set but remained rooted to the baseline, conceding two further
breaks and losing the match in less than an hour.
Monfils, whose ranking plummeted to 99 as he was sidelined, did not
believe the setback would affect his campaign for the season-opening
Grand Slam in Melbourne.
"I'm very sore but I've got a couple of days to be ready for the
(Australian) Open," he said.
"It was tough for me, David is an incredible player and today I was
very tired. Against an opponent like David it's very physical so I was
unable to fight and be on the court for two hours." Ferrer, who won in
Auckland in 2007, 2011 and 2012, has dropped just one set in this year's
tournament and said he was looking forward to the challenge posed by
Kohlschreiber.
"It was bad luck for Gael, he was tired after the match from
yesterday. I played my game, every day I've played better and I'm in the
final again," he said.
"It's very difficult to play him (Kohlschreiber), he's playing very
well." Kohlschreiber, the 2008 Auckland champion, had Querrey in trouble
early, moving the lanky American around the court to go up a service
break in the fifth game and taking the first set 6-4.
AFP |