Ferrer ends Spanish drought in Paris Masters

PARIS (AFP) –

Spanish David Ferrer celebrates after winning against Polish Jerzy Janowicz their Paris Tennis Masters Series indoor tournament final match at the Bercy Palais-Omnisport (POPB) in Paris.

David Ferrer became the first Spanish winner of the Paris Masters tournament here on Sunday as he beat unseeded Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 6-3.

It was the in-form 30-year-old Ferrer’s seventh ATP title of the season – his first ever Masters win in his fourth appearance in a final – and set him up ideally for this week’s season ending World Tour finals in London.

“It is a dream realised to win a Masters event,” said Ferrer, who was succeeding where his more celebrated compatriot Rafael Nadal failed to do in the 2007 final.

“There was Rome, Monte-Carlo and Shanghai…(the three finals defeats). This time it is a happy ending and the ultimate reward of the best season of my career.”

For Janowicz it was a disappointing end to his fairytale run in what was his first appearance in such a prestigious event after mainly plugging his way round the second tier Challenger circuit.

However, while he had claimed among other scalps US Open champion Andy Murray on his way to the final, Ferrer never allowed him a look in as he tried to emulate the last qualifier to win a Masters event, Albert Porta in Hamburg in 2001.

For once the 21-year-old’s service let him down as he had six double faults and only got 57% of his first serves in.

Ferrer broke the Pole at 5-4 in the first set and had little problem in the second to wrap up the match and his 17th career title in just under an hour-and-a-half.