Qualifier Portas pounds Ferrero to lift title

Ossian Shine

Spanish qualifier Albert Portas shocked compatriot Juan Carlos Ferrero 4-6 6-2 0-6 7-6 7-5 on Sunday to win his first Masters Series title in Hamburg.

The three hour 36 minute triumph at the Rothenbaum Tennis Centre denied Ferrero a second consecutive Masters title after he won his first in Rome last week.

"It was a beautiful match for me...really, the best match of my life," Portas said afterwards.

"It was unbelievable. The most incredible experience in my life.

"This is my first title, my first Masters Series so I think Hamburg will be forever in my heart."

World number 42 Portas, who had to qualify for the main draw, earned $400,000 for his heroics on the German clay court.

Eighth seed Ferrero had won 16 matches in a row coming into the final but finally ran out of energy against his 27-year-old compatriot.

Yet Ferrero had started the match in convincing fashion on Centre Court.

He began thumping deep, penetrating groundstrokes into the corners but Portas showed he meant business by grabbing the first break of the set as early as the third game.

He held to stretch into a 3-1 lead but 21-year-old Ferrero dug his heels in and reeled off the next four games to lead 5-3.

With first set victory in sight, though, Ferrero faltered. He double-faulted on his first set point and netted his backhand on his second, handing Portas a lifeline which he gratefully grabbed to break.

INVENTIVE TENNIS
Again Ferrero hit back. He swiftly built a 40-love lead on Portas's serve for another three set points and converted the third with a thunderous forehand winner cross court.

Portas bounced back in the second set and stormed it 6-2, winning the last four games with some inventive tennis and trademark drop shots.

Ferrero was stung into action and the player who is nicknamed 'The Mosquito' buzzed around the Centre Court firing winners at will.

He secured a 22-minute third set 6-0 with some breathtaking tennis while Portas could only watch as winner after winner sizzled past him on the baseline.

After a run of nine consecutive lost games, Portas stopped the rot by holding for 3-1 down in the fourth set.

Bouyed by the crowd's support, Portas staged a rally and broke for 3-2 with a sharply-angled backhand volley.

He held again for 3-3 when he pummelled a double-fisted backhand cross court past the outstretched Ferrero.

Ferrero's form deserted him and shots he was making with ease in the third set began to miss the lines or hit the net.

Portas had four break points on Ferrero's serve in the seventh game of the set but let Ferrero off the hook with a series of wild forehands.

MINI BREAK
But four games later Portas got the breakthrough, Ferrero hitting his third double fault to give Portas a 6-5 lead.

However, he failed to serve out the set, dumping a backhand volley into the net to put the set into a tiebreak.

Ferrero put a backhand wide to give Portas a mini break and then double-faulted for a fourth time on set point.

Ferrero visibly tired in the fifth set while Portas pulled off increasingly audacious drop shots and winners.

Portas broke in the eighth game for 5-3 but could not convert.

He had chances again at 6-5 with Ferrero serving. Ferrero netted a backhand to give Portas his first match point but Portas hit a forehand in the net.

On his second, though, Ferrero missed a backhand wide and Portas collapsed on his back on the red clay, his fists clenched in front of him.

"I knew it was going to be hard but I did it," he said.

Ferrero had been going for a second consecutive Masters title having won in Rome last week.

"Albert was just too good today. I couldn't manage it," he said.