DAVID FERRER: Good Things Come in Small Packages
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FERRER SUSTAINS TENNIS’ SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL TRADITION
Macho guys might call him a shrimp.
The politically correct would just say the 5’ 9” Ferrer is vertically challenged.
The old school cliche is that good things come in small packages.
The updated New Age version is that small is beautiful.
Never mind that we live in an era of giants, including John Isner and Juan Martin del Potro. David Ferrer is part of a long (slightly endangered) tradition of great short players. It’s long heritage that goes back to the non-stop hustler Bobby Riggs and the the mini-Aussies Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall, who boasted mighty resumes. In the tennis boom era, there was Harold Solomon and Eddie Dibbs. Then came the amazing scrambler Michael Chang who won the French Open, became No. 2 and popularized the game for Asian-Americans, and Aussie Lleyton Hewitt, who some say is the fiercest competitor in the game.
More recently David Ferrer, 30, emerged in the golden era of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray and rose to No. 5. He improved his serve and forehand. He won the most compelling match of this year’s Open, his marathon quarterfinal against Yanko Tipsarevic. His success has been based on two things: fight and a dogged determination. Some call him a terrier. Other say he is like a pit-bull with a bone in his teeth. He’s a mobile backboard who never gives up. But, it hasn’t been easy.
When he was a kid and not making an effort in practice, his coach locked him in a shed. Talk about tough love on steroids.
His nation offered a slew of sexy and charismatic players such as Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. And, as we noted the other day, he long has played in the considerable Spanish shadow of an icon named Rafa Nadal. But, after dominating an ill-prepared, out-of-sorts Novak Djokovic yesterday in blustery conditions, Ferrer was overpowered and promptly dispatched by the defending champion and the best hard court player in the world 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
Ferrer expressed pride in reaching his third Grand Slam semi and admitted there was a considerable gap between himself and the top four who now dominate. But why, we asked. “I can’t answer two or three things. Certainly if I will know, I will be 2 or 3 in the world, not 5.” Then again No. 5 ain’t too shabby for a vertically challenged guy who was once locked in a shed.
