TENNIS in DEPTH.

David Ferrer avenged his loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final at Buenos Aires last week to claim the title at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel tournament in Acapulco.

Third seed Ferrer won 6-3 3-6 6-1 in one hour and 47 minutes to lift his first title since his home-town success at Valencia in 2008.

It also meant Ferrero was denied a hat-trick of ATP Tour titles after his impressive form during the Latin American clay-court swing had seen the former world number one win in Costa do Sauipe and Buenos Aires.

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Second seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain claimed his second ATP Tour title in as many weeks on Sunday by beating top-seeded compatriot David Ferrer in the final of the ATP Copa Telmex in Buenos Aires.

Ferrero, who also triumphed at the Brasil Open last weekend, battled from a set down to overcome Ferrer 5-7 6-4 6-3 in a match which lasted more than two and a half hours.

The 30-year-old’s victory made him the third Spaniard to claim the Copa Telmex crown since the tournament started in 2001, following Carlos Moya (2003 and 2006) and Tommy Robredo (2009).

Ferrero was thrilled to have clinched his 14th ATP title so soon after the 13th.

“I feel unbelievable after winning two weeks in a row,” he said. “It is a great feeling.

“I think the key to my current success is the physical work I have done. I have been working very hard and I know that I can be on the court forever. That helps my game a lot because I get to the ball much early and can be more aggressive.

“This also helps me mentally. I feel very strong and know that I have more resources now when playing important points.”

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Organisers of the Capitala World Tennis Championships have announced David Ferrer, the world number 17 who helped Spain to a stunning second Davis Cup title earlier this month, will replace Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at this week’s tournament.

The stylish Spaniard will make his first appearance in Abu Dhabi and joins fellow countryman Rafael Nadal, the world number two, in a star-studded line-up of the world’s top players for the season opener starting on Thursday, December 31.

Ferrer will open his account on day one when he will meet the in-form Nikolay Davydenko.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to play in Abu Dhabi and I am very much looking forward to getting the season underway and joining some of the best players in the world for this tournament,” said Ferrer.

“Davydenko is always a tough opponent, particularly considering how well he has been playing lately, and I’m looking forward to playing him again.”

Should Ferrer beat Davydenko on the opening day, it sets up a thrilling all Spanish semifinal showdown with Nadal who will be ready and waiting for his Davis Cup winning compatriot.

“Rafa and I are great friends it would be fantastic to meet him in the semifinal. Rafa said the stadium atmosphere in Abu Dhabi last year was very exciting and he received a lot of support from the Spanish fans.

“It’s something I’m looking forward to experiencing.”

Tsonga, who injured himself during a training session earlier this week, is disappointed he will not be making his first appearance in Abu Dhabi.

The French number one has been advised by his coaching staff to rest ahead of the Australian Open after suffering the injury.

Tsonga said: “I am extremely disappointed not to be able to participate in the Capitala World Tennis Championship due to an injury.

“I hope that I will come to participate in years to come but in the meantime I wish everyone there a good event and best wishes for 2010.”

The Capitala World Tennis Championship will be staged at the Abu Dhabi International Tennis Complex, Zayed Sports City from December 31, 2009 to January 2, 2010.

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Nadal had the important role of being Spain’s cheerleader-in-chief at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi, with the world No 2 loudly celebrating every point that Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez won on the way to defeating Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych in the Davis Cup final, meaning the home nation retained the trophy they won in Argentina last season.

All four of Spain’s Davis Cup successes have come during the Noughties. It was here in this stadium, in 2000, that Spain won the Davis Cup for the first time. On that occasion, Nadal’s involvement was to carry Spain’s flag during the on-court ceremonies. And the Spanish keep on winning ‘La Ensaladera’, their affectionate name for the salad bowl-shaped trophy.

If the grand slam nations of Great Britain, the United States, France and Australia dominated this team competition during the twentieth century, there can be little doubt which country has been the superpower in the opening decade of the twenty-first century.

Spain needed just two days of the three-day tie here on the Montjuic Hill to become the first country since Sweden in 1998 to successfully defend the trophy.

While Nadal had some difficulties in the middle of the season, when he had his first defeat at the French Open and he had to withdraw from Wimbledon because of injury, the beginning and end of his year have been successful.

At Melbourne Park in February, Nadal beat Roger Federer in the Australian Open final to win his first hard-court grand slam title, and now this in December.

Nadal had done his bit on the clay when he demolished Berdych in the opening singles rubber on Friday afternoon, and yesterday he watched as Verdasco and Lopez saved one set point in the opening set tiebreak, and then went on to achieve a 7-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory.

Between points, the only man who was getting more attention from the television cameras than Nadal was Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe.

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    Ferrer has done it, what a fantastic effort. He’s fought back from two sets down to win an epic five-setter and the Spaniards now have one hand on the trophy. They lead 2-0 after day one and the Czechs have a mountain to climb on Saturday and Sunday.

Following Nadal’s straight set victory over Berdych, the Czech fans were looking to Stepanek to win his match with Ferrer to tie the series going into Saturday. All went well for the first two sets, and the wheels came off as Ferrer found his form, dusted of the rust and fought back to win in 5 sets. The fat lady is not singing yet, but she is warming up!

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Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco have returned to the Spain side for next month’s Davis Cup final against Czech Republic, captain Albert Costa said on Monday.

David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez complete the four-man team for the December 4-6 tie in Barcelona where Spain will seek a fourth title in 10 years.

Nadal has not played for his country since the first-round tie against Serbia in March and missed both the quarter-final against Germany in July and September’s last-four clash against Israel due to injury.

Verdasco, ranked eight, was also sidelined for the Israel tie, but has returned to clinch a place at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals at the end of this month.

The final will take place on Spain’s favoured clay surface at the indoor Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, scene of the first of Spain’s three Davis Cup triumphs in 2000 when a team featuring Costa defeated Lleyton Hewitt’s Australia.

They followed up with a win against the United States in Seville in 2004 and victory over Argentina in Mar del Plata last year.

“The Davis Cup is my main objective remaining for the year,” Nadal, who also missed the 2008 final due to injury, said in an interview  on Sunday.

“To play in the Palau Sant Jordi, where I carried the team flag in 2000, and experience that now as a player and not a spectator will be a marvellous experience.”

The Spanish have a deep pool of tennis talent, with 11 players in the top 100, while the Czechs rely on the two-man show of former top-10 players Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych, now ranked 12 and 20 respectively.

Spain are attempting to become the first team to retain the Davis Cup since Sweden in 1998 and are undefeated at home in 17 ties. They have not lost on clay in 19.

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The official presentation of the Ágora building, the architectural jewel in the Valencia city crown and the venue for the Valencia 500 Open from October 31st till November 8th, took place this evening.

Valencia is getting ready to host one of the most important tennis tournaments in the world and as a taster today, the Ágora building was officially presented. The act was attended by a host of personalities who took the opportunity to see the magnificent building close up. The President of the Generalitat of Valencia Francisco Camps and the Mayoress of Valencia, Rita Barberá, officially opened the complex.

The first speeches were made by the Valencia players and owners of the tournament David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero. Ferrer expressed his excitement at being a part of the tournament and explained how the new building had thrilled the players who are coming to the Tournament: “over the last few months every player who’s coming has been asking me about the building – when they come here they’ll be really impressed I’m sure”. Ferrer also stressed the quality of the players who’ll be at the Tournament: “the best players in the world are going to be at the Ágora and I’m sure the people who come to watch them are going to enjoy themselves so much”. For his part, Ferrero expressed his hopes that the Valencia Open 500 “will become one of the most important tournaments in the world”. Following the players’ remarks, the Valencia Mayoress Rita Barberá defined the Ágora as “a monument to the 21st century”, and expressed herself: “happy and impressed” by her first impression of the building. Finally, President Camps recalled: “in the past when I saw the best tennis players in the world playing in my country, I wondered if they would ever come to Valencia and now that dream has come true”.

With the completion of the Ágora, the last piece is in place for the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. The building, designed by the Valencia architect Santiago Calatrava, is a metal structure in the form of an ellipse, measuring 88 metres long and 66 wide has a diaphanous space of 5,000 square metres and a capacity for 5.500 spectators.

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