Ferrer 1 Errani topple rivals to take Rio titles

(MENAFN- Arab Times) RIO DE JANEIRO Feb 23 (Agencies): Spanish world number nine David Ferrer stormed to the ATP Rio Open title on Sunday battering Italian Fabio Fognini 6-2 6-3 in a one-sided final. Fognini ranked 28 in the world had edged out titleholder and clay king Rafael Nadal in his semi-final 24 hours earlier but had no answer to Ferrer as the second seed sped past him in one hour and 23 minutes. Ferrer added his second title of the season after Doha last month to keep the Rio crown in Spanish hands after Nadal''s success in the inaugural event last year. ''It''s been a very special week for me'' said Ferrer after taking his series with Fognini the Australian Open doubles champion to a perfect 8-0. Ferrer and Nadal had joined Brazil''s nowretired former world number one Gustavo Kuerten at the Sambadrome during last week''s carnival festivities before getting down to the serious stuff of swapping their samba shoes for finding their claycourt rhythm in humid conditions. Ferrer was the more consistent as his booming serves put Fognini in difficulty and although the Italian attacked the net he was quickly on the back foot. In the fourth game of the opener Fognini saved a pair of break points as he came back to deuce only to serve up two double faults. A second break in the eighth game saw Ferrer land the opening set in 37 minutes. The second brought no respite as the 32- year-old Spaniard underlined his dominance to net his 23rd ATP World Tour title in his 48th final.

Nadal will meanwhile head for Buenos Aires this week looking to push along preparations for a 10th Roland Garros crown in June. Earlier Italian top seed Sara Errani scored a 7-6 (7/2) 6-1 win in the women''s final over Slovakian sixth seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. The win moves Errani up to the fringes of the top 10 she will Monday rise from 16th to 12th in the new rankings. ''It is always special to play here I love playing on clay'' said Errani. ''I''ll be back here I hope for the Olympics (next year) but it''s a pity they won''t be on clay'' said Errani noting the Olympic tournament will be a hardcourt event falling shortly before the US Open.

Croatia''s Ivo Karlovic never dropping a service game all week defeated American Donald Young 6-3 6-3 Sunday to win the Delray Beach Open snapping a four-final losing streak. Six days before his 36th birthday Karlovic blasted 13 aces past the 25-yearold US left-hander to claim the top prize of $84250 (73900 euros) and his sixth career ATP crown. Karlovic held all 55 of his service games this week saving all 19 break points he faced including seven from Young to become the oldest Delray Beach champion since Jimmy Connors in 1989. Karlovic playing in his 13th career ATP final took only 69 minutes to win just his second title in seven years and his first since the 2013 Colombia Open. Fourth-seeded Karlovic the ATP''s tallest player at 2.11m reached four finals last year but was beaten in the championship matches at Memphis Dusseldorf Newport and in trying to defend his Bogota title. Karlovic who lost the 2010 Delray final to Latvian Ernests Gulbis fired 90 aces this week to break the tournament record he set five years ago. Karlovic ranked 29th broke Young ranked 56th in the seventh and final games of the opening set to seize command of the match against a foe he had never before faced. Young wasted three chances to break in the second game of the second set before squandering three break points in a row. Karlovic won his seventh game in a row for a 3-0 lead and held to the finish from there for the triumph. Young''s only prior ATP final came in 2011 at Bangkok where he lost to Britain''s Andy Murray.

Regaining the world''s top ranking in women''s tennis is less important to fivetimes grand slam winner Maria Sharapova than it was when she was younger but the Russian is eager to beat dominant player Serena Williams. Williams beat Sharapova who is ranked number two to claim her 19th grand slam singles title in the Australian Open final last month. Sharapova who first earned the top spot as an 18-year-old in 2005 has not beaten Williams since 2004. ''I wouldn''t say it''s as much of a priority as when I was younger'' Sharapova told Reuters on Sunday in a telephone interview from the resort town of Acapulco ahead of the annual Mexico Open. ''She is definitely an opponent that I have had a lot of trouble playing against in the last 10 years and someone that I would love to beat'' She said. ''I love facing her and I love that challenge. I''m definitely not shy of competing against her.'' Sharapova who will be playing in the Mexico Open for the first time is the favorite to win against Italian Sara Errani ranked 16th and America''s 20th ranked Madison Keys in this week''s matches in Acapulco. ''It''s quite a tough deal. There are a lot of girls that have had big wins even some that are not seeded so I look forward to tough competition and of course being the number one seed'' Sharapova said.