An unexpected new rival for Rafa: David Ferrer
Rafael Nadal may have a nemesis – and it’s not Roger Federer.
Nadal’s lesser known Spanish countryman David Ferrer has now beaten the world number two twice in a row, including an epic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 triumph at the Masters Cup in Shanghai, in two hours and forty minutes.
Upsets have been the theme in China, with Roger Federer losing his first match and 3rd ranked Novak Djokovic exiting from contention without winning set. By virtue of the round robin format, Nadal is still alive in the tournament. The Spaniard plays the out of form Djokovic on Thursday, where a win should be enough to see Nadal through to the semi finals.
“No excuses. I played well, he played better,” Nadal said.
“He’s playing with unbelievable confidence, moving unbelievably and playing crazy shots.”
Ferrer’s record against Nadal is 3-4. While not dominant by any means, this effort as well as Ferrer’s four set win at the US Open round of 16 suggests the Spanish number one holds little fear for rising 25 year old. There were tense times at the finish though, when Ferrer led a 5-1 in the third set, before opening the door slightly for Nadal with a break.
“At the end I was very nervous and cramping up with the nerves,” he said.
“Rafa is unbelievable, he fights the whole match but I’m playing with a lot of confidence. I played perfect in the third set.”
Ferrer was full of admiration for his Spanish counterpart, despite the win.
“Rafa is the best player in Spain’s history. This is just one match,” Ferrer said.
“I was just happy to qualify for the Masters Cup.”
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