David Ferrer

David Ferrer of Spain returns a shot to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the men's semi-final match at the US Open Tennis Championship, 08 September 2007, at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. Spain's number two ranked player well be adding a latin flavour to the 2009 US Open tennis championships with his determined, tenacious play. David Ferrer will be looking to shatter the myth that he is a clay court specialist by improving on his 2007 US Open semi-final appearance.

Player Biography

David Ferrer was born Xávia, Spain in 1982. At the age of 13 his abilities in tennis merited a move to the Spanish tennis hotbed of Barcelona where the young Ferrer attended the Catalan tennis federation. He later moved to Juan Carlos Ferrero's tennis academy before returning to his home town.

Career

David Ferrer joined the ATP circuit in 2001, playing in ATP tournaments whilst continuing his involvement in Challenger events. During this early period of his career he shone on clay, taking 34 of his 35 Challenger wins on the surface. Ferrer won his first ATP title in 2002 in Bucharest.

Grand Slam Record

David Ferrer was introduced to grand slam tennis in 2003. The Spaniard found top-level competition tough going, failing to move beyond the second round in any of the grand slams. The following year David Ferrer once again performed poorly, improving marginally overall by improving on his 2002 Australian open with a second round appearance.

David Ferrer spent the next two year in the professional tennis wilderness with his best result coming in the form of a losing appearance in the final of the 2005 Valencia Open in front of a partisan crowd. The Spaniard was knocked out of both Wimbledon and the Australian Open in the early rounds, but was encouraged by his performance at the 2005 French open which saw him reach a grand slam quarterfinal for the first time.

In July of 2007 Ferrer was finally rewarded for his patient resolve with a title at the Berlin Open. This win and a good showing at the grand slams set him up for a fine year in 2007 when he was able to shrug off years of frustration by winning 3 ATP titles and claiming a semi-final spot in the US Open to crack the ATP top 10 for the first time.

Playing Style

Like many players trained on clay, David Ferrer possesses an excellent top-spin forehand. He is a good all-round player who is capable of both precision and power. His major weakness is an indifferent serve.