Topseed Ferrer wins opening match at Ricoh Open

David Ferrer has won his first grass court match of the year at the Ricoh Open. The two time tournament winner (2008 and 2012) defeated Dudi Sela (ATP-68), 6-4, 6-4.

The match had many long rallies, in which both players tried to take the initiative. There were hardly any compelling services and therefore many breaks. In the opening set Ferrer twice lost a break advantage, but at 3-3 he scored  the deciding break.

Sela had three chances to break to get to 5-5, but Ferrer polished out those possibilites and took the set.

Despite a 40-0 advantage Sela immediately had a break against him in the opening game of the second set. The Spaniard pushed on to 4-0, but lost the following three games. The player from Israel had a break chance to get to 4-4, but did not use it, after which Ferrer served out the set at 5-4.

Ferrer will meet seventh seed Gilles Muller (ATP-44) from Luxembourg in the quarter-finals. The players have met only once before, at the Australian Open in 2004 when Ferrer was the victor.