In-form Spaniard and top seed David Ferrer won his fifth ATP title of the year here on Sunday beating compatriot Nicolas Almagro 6-2, 6-2.
Ferrer, 30 and winning his 16th career title in what was his 31st final, eased to the title against his 26-year-old opponent, who has yet to beat him in 10 meetings.
Ferrer, who was winning here for the second time having beaten Almagro in the 2007 final and was runner-up last year, took the first set by breaking his opponent, a two-time winner this season, for the second time.
Ferrer then rattled off the first three games of the second set before Almagro won his first game of the set – but the victor sealed the win after just 68 minutes when he broke Almagro again.
Ferrer is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career and this was his 51st win of a season that has seen him reach the French Open semi-finals and push Andy Murray hard in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
It saw him add this title to those he has already accrued in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, on grass, on the hard court of Auckland, and his favoured clay surface like here as well as Buenos Aires and Acapulco.
Hewitt reaches Newport final
NEWPORT: Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt reached the final of the ATP Hall of Fame Championships Saturday with a three-set victory over American Rajeev Ram. Hewitt, a former Wimbledon and US Open champion, reached his first ATP final in more than two years with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over former Newport champion Ram. Hewitt, who received a wild card into the draw, was playing in his first semi-final since June 2010, when he captured the grass court title in Halle. He next faces either defending Newport champion John Isner or American Ryan Harrison. Top-seeded Isner advanced to the semi-finals with a victory over qualifier Izak van der Merwe, while Harrison advanced when Germany’s Benjamin Becker retired with a hamstring injury trailing 6-4, 3-0 in their quarter-final. Harrison, through to his third semi-final of the season, was seeking a first ATP tour final. “I know John really well. We’ve played Davis Cup together,” Harrison said. “I’ve been training with him a lot. He knows my game, and I know his game, so it’s going to be a fun match.” AFP