https://stevegtennis.com/h2h-predictions/profile-bio/men/Juan_Martin_Del_Potro/
https://stevegtennis.com/h2h-predictions/profile-bio/men/David_Ferrer/
https://stevegtennis.com/h2h-predictions/head-to-head/men/Juan_Martin_Del_Potro/David_Ferrer/
https://stevegtennis.com/h2h-predictions/draw-results/atp/ATP_World_Tour_Finals/2012/
Juan Martin del Potro – David Ferrer
David Ferrer moves to 1-0 in Group B.
GAME SET AND MATCH FERRER 6-3 3-6 6-4
3-6 6-3 4-6 – Not the greatest of starts for Del Potro, who is can do little about a short ball which Ferrer happily smacks into the open court for 0-15 and it gets even worse as Ferrer works Del Potro around before forcing the defensive lob which Ferrer smashes for an easy winner. Ferrer gets Del Potro on the run with the forehand down the line and he stretches for the backhand, only able to put it wide for
three match points. The first is taken when Del Potro puts a forehand way long to close out a very sloppy service game and fall to 0-1 in the group.
BREAK FERRER
3-6 6-3 4-5 – Ferrer stops the rot after losing three games in a row with an easy love hold. The game ends with a Del Potro backhand error that goes well wide and now he must serve to stay in the match.
3-6 6-3 4-4 – Del Potro is playing excellent stuff right now and Ferrer is finding it hard to deal with. Errors like the simple forehand wide to bring up two game points aren’t helping either. The first is taken, Delpo punishing the short return to level the set up at four games apiece.
3-6 6-3 3-4– Once more Ferrer gets Del Potro on the run and once more it forces the error wide. Del Potro lines up the forehand down the line next point but it goes just wide for 30-0. He pulls it back to 30-30 however, and gets a break point as Ferrer just cannot live with him these past few points, with far too much than he can deal with. More venomous forehands from Del Potro and it eventually forces the Ferrer error, as he hits wide.
BREAK DEL POTRO
3-6 6-3 2-4 – Ferrer continues to plug away on the Del Potro serve and is causing him trouble but Del Potro once more holds on and keeps it to just the single break with a hold to 30.
3-6 6-3 1-4 – Ferrer quickly rushes into a 40-0 lead but thanks to a double fault, one game point goes away. A second also does but Ferrer grinds down Del Potro on the third, winning a marathon rally with Del Potro looking dead on his feet as he can do little but hit the backhand into the net.
3-6 6-3 1-3 – Del Potro ensures he doesn’t fall too far behind, holding to love and forcing the pressure back on to the Spaniard. Having won their last three encounters, Ferrer should still be fairly confident he can close this out.
3-6 6-3 0-3 – Ferrer could pull away now, and opens up with a drop shot which Del Potro is nowhere near. He holds to 15, finishing off the game with an easy cross court put away at the net.
3-6 6-3 0-2 – From taking the first point of the set, a forehand long for 0-30 makes it six points lost in a row and a cracking return of serve winner makes it seven, and more importantly brings up
three break points. Two go as Del Potro brings up some well timed serves but he can do little about the cross court pass which gives Ferrer the early break.
BREAK FERRER
3-6 6-3 0-1 – Ferrer needed a hold to halt the Del Potro momentum but doesn’t get a great start when he puts a backhand slightly wide. A strong serve soon eradicates it and he goes 30-15 up with an excellent passing shot, though Del Potro will be disappointed to have lost the point. He closes out the game with a forehand into the open court, set up by another well placed serve.
Set 2 Stats
- Ferrer 12 Winners/12 Unforced Errors
- Del Potro 16 Winners/16 Unforced Errors
3-6 6-3 – Ferrer starts off the game well, taking the opening point with a backhand down the line but the next backhand isn’t so successful as the return is netted for 15-15. He manages to get Del Potro on the run once more and it works wonders as yet another forehand error is drawn, though this time it is netted rather than wide. Two big serves get Del Potro his first set point but a sloppy forehand is netted as it is failed to be converted. The aggressive body serve goes long on second serve and so a double fault gives Ferrer a chance to break back, but Del Potro delivers a huge serve which sets up an easy put away. A very well worked point is finished with a forehand down the line for a second set point and Del Potro shows he isn’t all power with a delicate drop shot that is just too good for Ferrer.
SET DEL POTRO
3-6 5-3 – Ferrer recovers from a slightly shaky start, holding his nerve to stay in the set and force the pressure back on Del Potro. He seals the game with a well placed second serve ace.
3-6 5-2 – Ferrer gets a slight opening when he wins the first point for 0-15 but errors are becoming more common in the Spaniards game right now. Del Potro hits a wild forehand way long to drop the first of two game points but the second is taken with a Del Potro ace.
3-6 4-2 – Ferrer stops the rot with a love hold of his own, sealed when Del Potro hits a forehand way long on return.
3-6 4-1 – The set could go away very quickly now for Ferrer, Del Potro is in confident mood at the moment and makes it seven points in a row won with a love hold.
3-6 3-1 – Del Potro looks refreshed now and punishes Ferrer for failing to take advantage in the previous game. Two game points come and go as Del Potro converts on his first break point since early in the first set.
BREAK DEL POTRO
Del Potro calls the trainer for what looks like a blister..
3-6 2-1 -From 30-0, Del Potro is pegged back to 30-30. The last point is challenged by Del Potro after a couple of dodgy calls had not gone his way but on this occasion the Argentinian’s shot had gone way long. He earns a game point but once more the Ferrer inside out works wonders to move to deuce. With Del Potro on the run, Ferrer looks to have control of the point but Delpo manages to convert this time hitting the clean winner cross court only to double fault the game point away. A backhand long gives Ferrer break point but there is absolutely nothing he can do about the huge serve which wipes it out very quickly. Ferrer gets another chance when he nails the forehand into the corner with Delpo in no mans land but it is saved once more. A deep return gets Del Potro muddled up and another break point opportunity comes up but Ferrer can only net the return. Del Potro is struggling with the serve now and double faults to bring up another break point but once more delivers in the pressure situation, with a backhand down the line winner for deuce yet again and when Ferrer nets a backhand it goes to game point. After 12 minutes, Del Potro finally holds in what could be a key game.
3-6 1-1 – A bit more of a sloppier game from Ferrer with two poor errors but at 30-30, he reverts to the trusted inside out forehand which sets up the easy smash and with it a game point. Ferrer thinks it is taken when Del Potro cannot get a serve down the T back in play but hawkeye overturns it. It matters little as the replayed point is also won by Ferrer, putting away a drop shot that had far too much on it to elude him to end a 28 shot rally.
3-6 1-0 – The same tactic continues to work for Ferrer, moving Del Potro about and another wild forehand error comes about as he hits the run. However, some big serving ensures that the match does not get away from him too quickly, helping him hold the first game of the second set to 30 but not before another forehand wide on the run.
Set 1 Stats:
- Ferrer 8 Winners/8 Unforced Errors
- Del Potro 9 Winners/16 Unforced Errors
Moving Del Potro about and making him hit on the run is working wonders for Ferrer and one of the key areas that he is drawing errors from on the Argentinian’s racket.
3-6 – Ferrer has the Argentinian moving all over the court and takes the first point after Del Potro puts an awkward looking backhand wide. At 30-0, he sets up the inside out forehand with an awkward serve and puts it away emphatically to get three set points. The first isn’t converted but after Del Potro looks to have done the hard work with an incredible lob over Ferrer, he fails to adjust the weakly nets the forehand and with it the set goes to Ferrer.
SET FERRER
3-5 – Not the ideal start with another Del Potro error, this time a backhand into the net for 0-15 but a brave second serve down the T is unreturnable to move to 15-15. Del Potro finally gets some luck with the net cord going his way as Ferrer cannot get there in time so it’s 30-15. He finally gets the hold with a big serve which Ferrer can do very little with and now the pressure is back with the Spaniard.
2-5 – Ferrer moves to one game away from the set and is having a fairly easy time of it right now. Another Delpo error into the net and he must now serve to stay in the set.
2-4 – Del Potro looks frustrated at the moment and begins with a double fault and it gets worse when Ferrer successfully puts a smash away after the attempted lob. He gets it back to 30-30 but a netcord allows Ferrer to readjust, forcing Del Potro to attempt the forehand down the line which is netted for break point. It is saved with an emphatic smash but the approach was far too close to the line for comfort. Ferrer gets another chance though after a Del Potro backhand is netted but it is also saved. The Argentinian is being made to come into the net a lot at the moment but survives the onslaught after Ferrer goes just long on the first game point.
1-4 – After a tough service game last time round, there are no such issues for Ferrer who holds comfortably to love. The highlight of the game is a slice volley which wrong foots Del Potro after the Argentinian had successfully retrieved a Ferrer drop shot.
1-3 – A slice goes wide as Ferrer takes the first point of the game but a huge serve soon wipes out the 0-15 deficit. Ferrer continues to retrieve everything eventually forcing Del Potro to go for the forehand winner down the line but he can only hit the net. A well worked point from Ferrer ends with a forehand into the open court to bring up two break points. On the stretch, Del Potro is forced to hit a drop volley which falls just wide for the first break of the match.
BREAK FERRER
1-2 – Del Potro rues a weak second serve return to give Ferrer 15-0 but there is nothing weak about his forehand that forces a wild error wide from Ferrer to go to 15-15. The first lengthy rally of the match at 21 is finally ended when Ferrer nets a backhand and it will be a concern if this pattern were to continue for the Spaniard. Another forehand on the run goes wide for Del Potro for 30-30 but he will get the first break point of the match after Ferrer hit a fairly simple forehand wide. Another tame return on second serve bails him out and he gets to game point with a beautiful backhand down the line. A drop shot seems to have too much on it to outfox Del Potro who gets it back in play to force the volley at the net from Ferrer which
just lands in to confirm the hold.
1-1 – A shanked forehand return gives Del Potro a good start to his opening game and another big serve helps him to 30-0. A wild forehand wide halves the deficit and 30-30 looks very likely as Ferrer charges the net only to see an excellent backhand pass land in for two game points. He takes the first for a fairly comfortable hold.
0-1 – Ferrer gets off to a good start quickly going 30-0 up after a Del Potro backhand goes long. The Argentinian gets a sniff of hope when a forehand is netted by Ferrer but a big serve cannot be returned for game point and the hold is confirmed after he forces Del Potro into a netted backhand.
Del Potro wins the toss and elects to
receive.
Live Commentary of the ATP World Tour Finals 2012 group match between Del Potro and Ferrer will commence here at 7:45pm London time (UK).
This will be the first match for both players at this year’s showdown at the O2 arena in London, with the Spaniard leading the head to head record against the Argentine 5-2. Their last encounter happened at the 2012 Wimbledon championships, where Ferrer prevailed in straight sets.
To see all our predictions for upcoming matches, based on our machine learning model analysing results since 1960, see our tennis predictions page here.