
David Ferrer survived a tough opening set against Yen-Hsun Lu to eventually progress to the semi-finals of the Beijing Open, 6-3, 6-1.
Lu had come into the match playing the best tennis of his season, having already taking down Adrian Mannarino and Viktor Troicki in straight sets in the first round and round of 16 respectively.
For a while it looked like Lu may add David Ferrer to that list of wins, as he forced break points in game four. Ferrer saved each of them with his trademark tenacity, and escaped to hold. Ferrer meanwhile was consistently applying pressure to the Lu serve, forcing deuce in Lu’s first three service games. The break finally came in the fourth, Ferrer taking advantage of an increasing error count, to break ti a relatively easy fifteen. Ferrer then survived another Lu attack in serving for the set, eventually holding to deuce to take the opening set.
The match then began to run away from Lu, as Ferrer stepped up his game further in the second set, breaking immediately to lead. Lu this time could not muster a meaningful attack as Ferrer held in consolidation. Lu was becoming increasingly desperate, playing a risky flat game that brought reward and failure. They were not however, with equal measure, and Ferrer broke again. Lu started to entertain with some stunning winners, including a cross court forehand that bisected the side line a good three feet from the baseline.
Game five of the second set proved enjoyable, as Lu fought manfully to put his name on the scoreboard. He saved four more break points with more aggressive play. Ferrer though was fighting like he was down a set, making Lu finish him with three extra shots each time. Ferrer though finally broke at the fifth time of asking, and served for a bagel. Lu though, continued his risky play, and was finally rewarded. Forcing a break point, and Ferrer could only block a sharp forehand beyond the baseline, as Lu finally registered. Ferrer quickly atoned for his loss of serve, quickly building love-forty, and securing victory when Lu sailed long with a forehand.
Ferrer now takes his place in the semi-finals, where he will face the winner of the final quarter-final between John Isner and Novak Djokovic. Ferrer has a 5-15 record against Djokovic, with Djokovic winning the last nine. Ferrer’s last win came in 2011 in London at the ATP World Tour Finals.
Ferrer remains on course to qualify once again for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, he is currently in eighth position, more than one thousand points ahead of his nearest challenger Richard Gasquet. Last year he played only as an alternate.