The Vienna title is coming down to David Ferrer and Steve Johnson on Sunday. In Moscow, the two men left standing are top two seeds Marin Cilic and Roberto Bautista Agut.
Erste Bank Open: (1) David Ferrer vs. Steve Johnson
Johnson will be competing in his first career ATP final when he takes the court against Ferrer on Sunday in Valencia. Less importantly, the American is also potentially playing for 2016 Australian Open seeding. He will climb to at least No. 33 in the world and will surge into the top 30 if he upsets Ferrer. Johnson owns more than half of his ATP-level match victories in 2015 (33 of 59) and so far this week he has taken out Alexandr Dolgopolov, Jerzy Janowicz, Kevin Anderson, and Ernests Gulbis.
Ferrer, on the other hand, is through to his 51st career ATP title match and currently owns a 25-25 record. The eighth-ranked Spaniard recently triumphed in Kuala Lumpur and he is on the brink of lifting another winner’s trophy following Vienna defeats of Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Fabio Fognini, and Gael Monfils. An in-form Ferrer has won eight consecutive sets since dropping his opener to Ramos-Vinolas. All factors–not the least of which is experience–point to a convincing win for the No. 1 seed.
Pick: Ferrer in 2 with no tiebreakers
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Kremlin Cup: (1) Marin Cilic vs. (2) Roberto Bautista Agut
This will be the second consecutive Moscow final between Cilic and Bautista Agut. Last year’s championship match, which remains their only previous encounter to date, was dominated by Cilic 6-4, 6-4. Speaking of domination, the top-seeded Croat bounced back from a three-setter against Denis Istomin in this week’s opener to crush Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2, 6-1 and Evgeny Donskoy 6-3, 6-1. Despite not winning a match until April because of a shoulder injury, Cilic is 32-17 for the year and registers at 14th in the world.
Bautista Agut has cooled off slightly on the heels of a breakout 2014 campaign. Still, the Spaniard is a decent 27th in the rankings and will be seeded Down Under in January. He has dug out of a brief slump with consecutive stellar performances in Russia. Bautista Agut reached the St. Petersburg semis and so far in Moscow has disposed of Marsel Ilhan, Lucas Pouille, and Philipp Kohlschreiber all in straight sets. On this surface, a confident Cilic should once again blast Bautista Agut off the court while rolling to his 14th career ATP title.
Pick: Cilic in 2
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Johnson with a love hold reduces the arrears.
Ferrer holds to 15 and he has a 5-3 lead Johnson to serve to stay in the set.
a double fault at 30 all and Ferrer has a set point but Johnson saves it with a first serve Ferrer misses a backhand down the line and Johnson has adv and Johnson ends a longish rally with a good volley and holds. Ferrer now to serve for the set.
Johnson wins the first point but Ferrer has 2 set poins but he misses both Ferrer serves an ace and has another set point but again Johnson denies him with a smash Ferrer with a volley winner has his 5th set point and this time he takes it.
Cilic set and a break but may be giving it back
Johnson holds to love.
Cilic is 4 -2 ahead in 2nd set
Ferrer with an easy hold 1-1 final set.
They are inscribing Ferrer’s name on the trophy as we speak. This match is over bar the shouting.
Ferrer with a food return Johnson misses long, Ferrer now 0-30 on Johnson’s serve Johnson with a forehand winner, a 2nd serve ace, a first serve ace takes Johnson to game point but a volley winner by Ferrer and its deuce, Johnson has another game point and this time he holds.
Ferrer nets a backhand as Johnson rushes the net But Ferrer levels it with 4 straight points. In Moscow Cilic serving for the match.
Johnson starts his service game with a double fault, but this time Johnson wins 4 points in a row to hold in Moscow Cilic beats Bautista Agut in 2 sets.
Ferrer holds to 15 that makes it 7 consecutive service holds in a row for the Spaniard.
Johnson in trouble as he falls behind 0-30 on serve Ferrer now has 3 Bps as he just refuses to miss from the baseline, Johnson saves the first with a serve overhead combo he saves the 2nd with a good serve, and the 3rd, Johnson has adv but Ferrer wins the next point and its deuce, Johnson again has gamepoint but he cant close it out, Ferrer wins a long rally and he has 4th bp of the game, Johnson with a big serve saves it and he has another game point and this time he holds denying Ferrer 4 Bps in the process.
Ferrer isnt dispirited by missing 4 bps as he holds with utmost ease and its 4 all.
Johnson with a comfortable hold of his own moves ahead 5-4 and Ferrer will now serve to stay in the match.
Johnson has 15-30 2 points away from the match, he misses a forehand, Ferrer wins a rally and he now has a game point to make it 5 all, Ferrer thinks he has won the game but hawy eye proves that Johnson’s shot had caught the line they replay the point and Johnson wins it to make it deuce, Johnson denies him again but on his 3rd game point Ferrer gets the hold to make it 5 all.
Ferrer with 3 bps, Johnson saves the 1st but on the 2nd bp Johnson double fault Ferrer breaks and will serve for the title.
Ferrer serves it out with aplomb, a winner in 3 sets 4-6 6-4 7-5.
11 aces 43 winners and 52 errors to Johnson, 7 aces 22 winners and 18 unforced errors to Ferrer.
I guess those stats are the story of the match. Still Johnson made Ferrer work for it.
I did get to see the last half of the third set. Too bad for Johnson. Those DF’s were costly. So Johnson did get a set off Ferrer. Well done!
Johnson did well to make a match out of this one. But it was nice to see Ferrer so happy after this win.