Valencia 2013: David Ferrer bounces back into form in his home town

The three-time and defending champion, David Ferrer, bounced straight back into his home city of Valencia with an impressive opening win, just a couple of days after a tough loss in the final of Stockholm.

For the hard-working 31-year-old Spaniard, it marked a 53rd match-win this season, a tally exceeded only by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, and took him past a potentially very tough first-round opponent.

Gael Monfils dropped outside the top 100 in the spring after the latest in a catalogue of injury problems, but bounced back to 31 last week after showing flashes of his French brilliance first by beating Tomas Berdych and Ernests Gulbis at the French Open, then reaching the final in Winston Salem, and finally by beating Roger Federer in Shanghai to reach the quarters there.

So it was indeed a tough draw for top seed, Ferrer, coming as it did after three tough three-setters in Stockholm.

But Ferrer is no ordinary player. In 2013, he has continued to break new ground—a first Grand Slam final in France this year was preceded by a semi finish in Australia and followed by quarter-finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open, demonstrating both his quality and versatility. He won on the clay of Buenos Aires and lost in the final of Miami’s heavy hard courts, taking Andy Murray to a third-set tie-break in the Briton’s second home.

It has all earned Ferrer a career-high No3 ranking this summer, which he regained last week, though he has already qualified for the World Tour Finals for the fifth time in his career and the fourth consecutive time. He was a finalist, too, in 2007—his best season until this year—and also a semi-finalist in 2011. Yes, Ferrer is consistent, and at a consistently high level.

For the moment, though, he will be focused on winning his home title for a fourth time, though he has more big hurdles in his half of the draw, not least the towering young Pole Jerzy Janowicz, who Ferrer will face in the quarters should he get past Julien Benneteau.

The semis could also see a direct head-to-head with another former champion, No3 seed Nicolas Almagro. This Spaniard won Valencia when it was played on clay, in 2006 and 2007, but he still has the incentive of a very outside chance of qualifying for London, and needs to start with his home title to keep his hopes alive.

The No2 seed, Tommy Haas, fresh off his title run in Vienna last weekend, also faced a very tough opener in the shape of fellow German Philipp Kohlschreiber—unseeded by ranked 24 and a with a single-handed backhand cut from the same impressive mould as Haas’s. And his compatriot proved to be Haas’s downfall. His loss, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, may well have cost him his chance at a first World Tour Finals.

Another outsider, John Isner, also failed to advance beyond the second round in Valencia, having taken out Ernests Gulbis in fine style in his opener. He went out to Jeremy Chardy, but the last man with any chance of qualifying, Fabio Fognini, has reached the quarter-finals with victory over Valencia’s 2011 champion, Marcel Granollers.

The Italian, who stands at a very outside No15 in the race, improved to a 42-25 match record in his career-best season, highlighted by titles in Stuttgart and Hamburg.

In Basel, Kei Nishikori’s loss in the second round took him out of contention—but with Stan Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet falling in Basel’s first round, the race remains remarkably open. It will head right down to the wire in Paris.