IDEA PROKOM OPEN
SOPOT July 31, 2003 

Ferrero Comes Back from the Brink
Top seed survives a second round scare against Frantisek Cermak, while Guillermo Coria continues his sensational form. 


Top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero came back from the brink of defeat and saved two match points before defeating Czech qualifier Frantisek Cermak to reach the quarterfinals of the Idea Prokom Open in Sopot. 
Ferrero, the current ATP Champions Race 2003 leader, finally came through 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, saving the match points at 5-4 in the second set - the second with a drop shot. 

The Spaniard will now meet Luis Horna of Peru for a place in the semifinals. Horna, who defeated Roger Federer in the first round at Roland Garros before losing to eventual finalist Martin Verkerk, recorded a 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 7 seed Dominik Hrbaty. Horna also reached the semifinals in Amersfoort two weeks ago as well as the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires earlier this year. 

Third seed Guillermo Coria continued his sensational form, defeating Christophe Rochus 6-1, 6-0 in 55 minutes to extend his winning streak to 12. The 21-year-old Argentine, who has won the last 26 sets he has played, is seeking his third title in as many weeks having won back-to-back championships in Stuttgart and Kitzb¨¹hel without dropping a set. Coria, currently in third position in the ATP Champions Race 2003, is now tied with Carlos Moya for the most match wins on clay this season (35). Coria will now face Frenchman Olivier Mutis, the No. 8 seed who defeated German qualifier Marc-Kevin Goellner 6-4, 6-2. Coria won their only previous meeting in Kitzb¨¹hel last week, dropping just one game in the process. 

Meanwhile, Galo Blanco won the all-Spanish battle against Albert Portas to progress to his second quarterfinal of the year (Estoril). Blanco came through 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 against Portas, who reached the Sopot final in 2001 and who defeated No. 2 seed Moya in the first round. Blanco will now meet another Spaniard in Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, the 25-year-old from Alicante who defeated Mariano Puerta of Argentina 6-3, 6-3 to reach his second quarterfinal of the year after his run to the last eight in Amersfoort. Hidalgo also won the Challenger title in Kosice on clay earlier this month. 

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID:
Ferrero: "It was obviously a difficult match. His level of play in the first two sets took me by surprise. At the beginning, he was so solid. He wasn't making mistakes and was serving very well. It's not normal for someone of his ranking to play so consistently.

"These kind of players find it difficult to close the match out against a Top 10 player. It is normal for them to get nervous. I managed to raise the level of my game very well when I really needed to today.

"It is difficult to decide when to make a drop shot. I use that shot a lot as part of my game. Today, I missed many but on his second match point, it was the easiest shot to make. I was happy to see it glide over the net."

Horna: "The beginning was tough. Hrbaty always starts out strong. I started to pick up my rhythm just as his began to drop. I was dominating the rallies by the second set.

"I will now play Ferrero in the quarterfinals. It is going to be a beautiful match. It is always special to play against such a great player. He's probably the best player on clay right now. I am really motivated to win. There is no pressure on me as I have nothing to lose. I want to go out there and play my best tennis to beat the leading player in the ATP Champions Race."

Coria: "The match was very quick. It's pleasing to have closed it out so quickly. Rochus is a talented player and could have been dangerous. He reached the quarterfinals here last year. I kept the rhythm and momentum throughout the match and didn't let him play his game.

"With tonight's form, I know I am still playing at the same level as the last two weeks in Stuttgart and Kitzb¨¹hel. In the quarterfinals I will play against Olivier Mutis. I beat him 6-1, 6-0 in the third round of Kitzb¨¹hel last week.

"Having won two consecutive tournaments, I am feeling very tired. I sense that on the court in every match, but I am committed to this tournament and I want to do my best here. It would be special to win three tournaments in a row. Every tournament you play, for sure you want to win. If I win tomorrow's match, I could play Ferrero in the semifinals. I am sure I will concede more games than tonight's match. It would be a tough match if it happens."

Blanco: "It is always difficult to play someone you know so well, but when you get onto the court you try to forget you're friends and you always try your best to win.

"Yesterday's match, which I won 6-0, 6-1, really helped me. My opponent was very nervous and made more mistakes than usual. The match was over very quickly. I came to Sopot carrying a back injury and it gave me enough time to recuperate. Albert's match, on the other hand, was a tough one against Moya.

"Today's match was one of a lot of errors coming from the both of us. I managed to play the important points more astutely. Tomorrow's match will be against another Spaniard, Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo. It is going to be very similar to today's, another tough one. I hope to win it and make the semifinals here."

QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW
The quarterfinals of the Idea Prokom Open get underway on Friday with top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero and third seed Guillermo Coria still on course for a semifinal showdown. 

Ferrero, who saved two match points in his second round victory over Frantisek Cermak on Thursday, faces Peru's Luis Horna for the first time in the quarterfinals. Ferrero, who needs to reach the semifinals in order to increase his five-point lead over Roger Federer at the top of the ATP Champions Race 2003 Leader Board, now has reached the quarterfinals or beyond in 10 of the 13 tournaments he has played in 2003. 

The Spaniard, who has won three titles this year at Roland Garros, the Tennis Masters Monte-Carlo and Valencia, now has a 47-9 record. Horna, the 22-year-old from Lima, is 15-16 for the year. He reached the semifinals in Amersfoort, retiring against Massu in the second set after straining his right hamstring, and advanced to the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires, losing to Carlos Moya in three sets. His biggest win of the year came in the first round at Roland Garros, where he defeated Roger Federer in straight sets before losing to eventual finalist Martin Verkerk in five. 

Coria, who also has won three titles in 2003 at the Tennis Masters Hamburg, Stuttgart and Kitzb¨¹hel, is looking to make it three in a row this week. The 21-year-old Argentine, who is aiming for his 13th consecutive match win, defeated Olivier Mutis - his quarterfinal opponent on Friday - in Kitzb¨¹hel last week 6-1, 6-0. Mutis, a semifinalist in Houston earlier this year, has a 15-14 record this year having started 2003 with a 1-7 career record on the ATP circuit. He also reached the quarterfinals in Casablanca. 

In the other quarterfinals, Sweden's Andreas Vinciguerra faces Spaniard David Ferrer for the first time. Vinciguerra, a four-time finalist on the ATP circuit and winner in Copenhagen in 2000, reached the quarterfinals in Doha at the beginning of the year. Ferrer, who won the title in Bucharest last year, has reached quarterfinals in Auckland and Umag in 2003. 

Following them onto Court 1 will be the all-Spanish clash between Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo - a quarterfinalist in Amersfoort - and Galo Blanco, the 26-year-old who reached the quarterfinals in Estoril. Ramirez Hidalgo has never reached an ATP semifinal before, while Blanco, a quarterfinalist at Roland Garros in 1997, will be looking to reach his first semifinal since Kitzb¨¹hel in 2001.