If you heard that a seeded Spaniard lost in the first round of the Australian Open, you could be forgiven for assuming it was David Ferrer. But the eighth seed overcame a wild start to advance to the second round, defeating German Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
Ferrer Finds Feet First
On a day that already saw Rafael Nadal go crashing out of the Australian, Ferrer got off to a rocky start himself. It was Gojowczyk who got the early lead, breaking Ferrer in the Spaniard’s first service game and grabbing a 2-0. However, the eighth seed wasted no time getting the break point, charging to a 15-40 lead in the next game and was gifted the break when Gojowczyk double faulted.
The fourth game was wild, with Gojowczyk holding three break points, including 15-40, but was unable to convert and Ferrer evened the match at 2-2. At this point, Ferrer took advantage of Gojowczyk’s failure to break and converting his second break point in the following game to grab his first lead of the match. That break was all Ferrer would need, as the remainder of the set went with serve and Ferrer took it 6-4.
Gokowczyk Errors Blow the Set
There was no repeat of the craziness to start the second set. Both men held fairly easily, but Gojowczyk found himself under pressure in the following game. At 30-30, the German committed a pair of crucial mistakes that would end up costing him the set. First, a forehand unforced error gave Ferrer a set point.
The Spaniard got the break without having to hit a ball, as Gojowczyk double faulted on break point to give Ferrer the 2-1 lead. That was all he would need, as he held his serve for the remainder of the set to grab the two sets to love lead. Ferrer’s break point in the third game was the only one of the set and no games went to deuce in the second.
Ferrer Cruises Into Round Two
Much like Fernando Verdasco, Ferrer went on a hot run in the final set to wrap up the match. After Gojowczyk held to start the set, Ferrer won five straight games to put a strangle hold on the match. Ferrer converted his second break point in the third game to grab the early lead.
He broke again in the fifth game courtesy of some unforced errors by the German. He stretched his lead to 5-1 before Gojowczyk managed to hold serve and briefly delay the inevitable. But Ferrer was untroubled when he stepped up to serve out the match, holding to love.
By The Numbers
Ferrer is not known for his serve, but his serve was dominant in this match, out-acing Gojowczyk seven to five and winning eighty-two percent of his first serve points. Ferrer limited his opponent to four break points, all of them coming in the opening set. He himself held eight break points converting five. Both men hit seventeen winners, but the difference ended up being Gojowczyk’s fifty-two unforced errors.
Ferrer will face a challenge in the second round, when he takes on a heavily partisan Melbourne crowd. His opponent will be Lleyton Hewitt, who is competing in his final tournament and will surely have the crowd heavily behind him when he takes on Ferrer.