Tag Archives: sharpness

Rafael Benitez says Fernando Torres"s return to form is proof Chelsea changes are working

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Benitez claims his Chelsea revolution is working now Torres is back in the goals

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UPDATED:

15:31 GMT, 22 December 2012

Rafael Benitez has claimed Fernando Torres's long-awaited return to form is proof that his Chelsea revolution is working.

Almost two years since Torres' record-breaking move from Liverpool and he is finally starting to score the number of goals to justify his 50million price tag.

Six in five games is by far the most sustained run of the 28-year-old's Stamford Bridge career and it has co-incided almost exactly with his reunion with former Anfield boss Benitez.

Back in business: Fernando Torres has been in the goals since Rafa Benitez came in

Back in business: Fernando Torres has been in the goals since Rafa Benitez came in

Chelsea's interim manager immediately identified that Torres had lost some of the physical conditioning that had made him one of the most feared forwards in the world, as well as an obvious lack of confidence from failing to find the back of the net.

'Two or three things that we are doing for some players are really good,” Benitez said, claiming the sharpness in the majority of his players was now 'much better'.

'Fernando is one of the examples.'

He added: 'He's scoring goals and the team is winning and playing well, so he's really happy, not just because he's scoring goals but also because the team's doing well.'

Despite the clear impact Benitez has made on Torres, he played down the extent of his own influence on his fellow Spaniard.

'I think that the team has an influence on him because the team is doing well, so the team is playing better, creating more chances,' he said.

'So Fernando is taking more chances.'

Getting better: Chelsea's manager Rafa Benitez applauds supporters after beating Leeds

Getting better: Chelsea's manager Rafa Benitez applauds supporters after beating Leeds

Benitez refused to speculate on exactly how much his training methods had improved Torres and others during his month in charge ahead of tomorrow's Barclays Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

'You can more or less think but imagine I will say to you that they are 90 per cent [fit] and we lose on Sunday, you will say, 'What is going on”' he said.

'[What] if I say 20 per cent and we beat Aston Villa 5-0

'Football is so special that you cannot guarantee 70, 50 or 60.

'What I can say is we have time to bring players in the team and then change players, so we can manage the tiredness a little bit better.'

Indeed, Benitez has rotated his squad far more than predecessor Roberto Di Matteo and he revealed fatigue had been a real concern in the wake of Chelsea's gruelling Club World Cup trip to Japan.

Back where it all began: Cech is looking forward to going back to play Sparta Prague

Back where it all began: Cech is looking forward to going back to play Sparta Prague

So much so in fact that it threatened to derail Benitez's plans for Wednesday's Capital One Cup quarter-final win at Leeds.

'Some players, they were quite tired,' he said.

'The day before, we were training and I was talking with the fitness coach.

'We had three or four that could be a problem.

'We decided to change some players but I didn't want to change too many.'

With no end in sight to their punishing fixture schedule, tiredness is likely to become more of a problem as the season progresses.

That makes reinforcing what is an alarmingly thin squad imperative during the January transfer window.

Reports today suggest Benitez faces a battle to convince Chelsea's board to spend big rather than recalling some of the youngsters the club currently has out on loan.

Inaction is simply not an option, with Daniel Sturridge said to be on the brink of being sold, Oriol Romeu out for the season and John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses set to be missing for up to a month on African Nations Cup duty.

Chelsea's failure to reach the Champions League knockout stage has also left them with two extra potential fixtures in the shape of a Europa League last-32 clash with Sparta Prague.

One player not complaining about a trip to the Czech Republic was goalkeeper Petr Cech, who will return to the club where he made his name.

'It is fantastic for me to be able, after 12 years, to finally play a Czech team in a European competition,' Cech told Chelsea TV.

'Although the ideal scenario was to play them in the Champions League, this is one of the positives from not being able to play in the Champions League now.

'We will try to win the Europa League now and it is great for me to have this experience of going home and playing for Chelsea in Czech Republic.'

Leeds 2 Crystal Palace 1: Sloppy leaders toppled

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Leeds 2 Crystal Palace 1: Sloppy leaders toppled as Becchio and Green cash in

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UPDATED:

22:18 GMT, 24 November 2012

Luciano Becchio and Paul Green knocked Crystal Palace off the top of the Championship as Leeds punished some feeble defending at Elland Road.

Argentine striker Becchio, who has lacked his usual sharpness for much of the season, cashed in on a dreadful mix-up by hooking in his 11th goal of the season in the 52nd minute.

Starting today: Leeds United ended Palace's 14-game unbeaten run

Starting today: Leeds United ended Palace's 14-game unbeaten run

MATCH FACTS

Leeds: Kenny, /11/24/article-2237766-163124F7000005DC-395_468x381.jpg” width=”468″ height=”381″ alt=”Impressed: Leeds director Salem Patel cheered as one of the goals went in for his new club” class=”blkBorder” />

Impressed: Leeds director Salem Patel cheered as one of the goals went in for his new club

Palace manager Ian Holloway said: 'We have to start another run now after those 14 games unbeaten.

'We deserved at least a point but
that's football. Leeds gained energy from the takeover and a couple of
loan signings and they have a very good manager in Neil Warnock.'

Leeds began the day seven points
above the relegation places, but a message in the programme from
potential new owners GFH Capital was reassuringly upbeat.

It read: 'All those involved with
the acquisition of the club are fully committed to making the right
longterm investments that benefit everyone both on and off the pitch.

'We want to restore Leeds United to
the Premier League as soon as possible and will be working with Neil
Warnock and his coaching staff to ensure he has what he needs to build a
side ready to achieve that.'

Palace have Premier League ambitions,
too, but, with Thomas and Tate having inspiring Leeds debuts, the
visitors struggled at times.

Paddy Kenny also made a stunning double save from Jonathan Parr and the mercurial Wilfried Zaha.

Arsenal star Jack Wilshere expresses doubts over fitness

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I'm not 100 per cent, admits returning Arsenal ace Wilshere

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UPDATED:

08:04 GMT, 16 November 2012

Jack Wilshere admits he will need time to recapture his best form after making his England comeback in Wednesday's friendly international with Sweden in the Friends Arena.

The Arsenal midfielder put 17 months of injury frustration behind him after suffering a stress fracture of his ankle by playing the final half hour of England's 4-2 defeat.

Wilshere knows he is still short of sharpness after only a trio of games for the Gunners, but is delighted to be back playing for club and country.

Jack's back: Wilshere came on as a second-half substitute in England's defeat in Sweden

Jack's back: Wilshere came on as a second-half substitute for England in their defeat in Sweden

He said: 'I don't how long it will be before I can say “I'm back.” I'm not really sure.

'This is my first long-term injury. We will see. I'm sure you lot (the media) will notice when I'm back to my best.

'I'm getting there. I don't feel 100 per cent yet and everyone can see that. I feel better and better as every game goes on.

'I need to get some games under my belt and properly get back into the swing of things.

'But it's great to be back. Seventeen months on the sidelines is tough for anyone.'

Wilshere was happy to put trust in England head coach Roy Hodgson and Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger in determining how long he should play for England.

He said: 'They know what they are doing. I'm sure they spoke before we met up and they reached an agreement. The agreement was the last 30 minutes and Roy gave me the last 30 minutes so I'm grateful for that.'

Andy Murray beats Paul-Henri Mathieu at Paris Masters

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Murray cruises past home star Mathieu on return to action at Paris Masters

PUBLISHED:

20:25 GMT, 31 October 2012

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UPDATED:

20:51 GMT, 31 October 2012

Andy Murray showed no sign of the back injury that has troubled him recently as he advanced past Paul-Henri Mathieu at the BNP Paribas Open in Paris.

Murray returned to the court for the first time since he cited a back problem as the reason for pulling out on the eve of last week's event in Basle.

The US Open champion moved freely in his second-round match as he was at times made to sweat before eventually overpowering his 30-year-old French rival 7-5 6-3 in one hour 33 minutes.

Ready: Murray

He's back: Murray on court…

Serving: Murray

… serving to the ball to Mathieu…

Focused: Murray

… and looking focused in Paris

Mathieu, a wildcard entrant, pushed
Murray throughout the opening set, but succumbed thereafter before
conceding the match with a double fault.

'I felt okay. I served pretty well,
but I struggled a bit on the return especially at the beginning of the
match,' Murray told Sky Sports 2.

'It's hard to say (how long it will
take to return to full match sharpness). I've been playing very well in
practice and felt confident today, but when the match started it's
different conditions.

Backhand: Murray returns the ball to France's Paul Henri Mathieu at the Paris Masters

Backhand: Murray returns the ball to France's Paul Henri Mathieu at the Paris Masters

'I struggled with my timing. I've never played my best tennis at this tournament, but I'd like to change that.

'You'd hope after three or four matches you are starting to play better.'

Murray will next meet qualifier Jerzy
Janowicz, who he beat in the Davis Cup a couple of years ago, after the
Pole upset 13th seed Marin Cilic.

Looking up: Murray is now the favourite for the prestigious Paris title after Novak Djokovic was beaten

Looking up: Murray is now the favourite for the prestigious Paris title after Novak Djokovic was beaten

That will come as a relief to Murray
who was solid rather than spectacular in his first match since losing
the final in Shanghai to Novak Djokovic at the start of the month.

He was forced to battle in a competitive opening set that lasted just shy of an hour.

The Scot was frustrated in the opening
exchanges as Mathieu looked the more comfortable in reaching 5-5. But
with the set on the line Murray found an extra gear at the right time.

Brushed aside: Frenchman Mathieu was out of his depth against the US Open and Olympic champion

Brushed aside: Frenchman Mathieu was out of his depth against the US Open and Olympic champion

After breaking Mathieu to love to make
it 6-5, he was still made to sweat for the set as the Frenchman grabbed
a couple of break-back points.

Murray coolly averted the danger,
however, firing down and ace before Mathieu bunted a second serve long,
to allow the world number three to close the set out soon afterwards.

After keeping pace with Murray for the
best part of an hour Mathieu started to lose his way as he was
immediately broken in the second set.

Eye on the ball: The British No 1 cruised to victory in straight sets on Wednesday night

Eye on the ball: The British No 1 cruised to victory in straight sets on Wednesday night

Murray's passing shot was initially
called long but, after asking for a replay, he was handed the opening
game before a second break made it 4-1.

Mathieu briefly threatened a comeback when he pulled back a break but Murray stepped it up again to go through.

Darren Fletcher says he is getting back to his best

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I'm getting back to my best now, insists Man United star Fletcher

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UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 24 October 2012

The year started with a dark shadow over Darren Fletcher’s playing career and a makeshift coaching role with the reserves.

Now, however, it looks like ending with him restored not only to full health but a pivotal role in Manchester United’s quest for European and domestic honours.

Struck down by debilitating ulcerative colitis, the Scotland midfielder wondered where his next game was coming from after being told last January he wouldn’t play again that season but could keep his hand in assisting reserve-team boss Warren Joyce.

On the ball: Darren Fletcher in Champions League action on Tuesday

On the ball: Darren Fletcher in Champions League action on Tuesday

Even in the summer, as his team-mates reported back for pre-season training, he wondered whether he would ever recapture the form and fitness that once made him a vital cog at the heart of United’s midfield.

Not any more. Doubts may have been raised about United’s defensive stability, after going 2-0 behind before rallying for a 3-2 Champions League win over Braga, but not about Fletcher nearing the end of a long, gruelling route back to peak condition.

He is not quite there yet, but the contented smile told its own tale, as he reflected on a full shift, just a month after launching his comeback as a substitute against Galatasaray.

‘I am back quicker than I expected, a lot quicker,’ he said. ‘Maybe experience helps with that. Perhaps you don’t have the sharpness in your legs yet, but in your mind, you have. You can react quicker because you have been in the situations before.

‘Anyway, I think my legs are coming back. I can feel it, and I really do feel great. If you had said I would be in this position back in June or July, playing a full 90 minutes in a Champions League tie, I wouldn’t have believed you.

‘But here I am, and it is all going well. It is quite hard to assess where I am up to, and if I am back to my old self. I feel fantastic, but when you have been out so long, it is going to take time before you are 100 per cent.

Back in the fold: Fletcher, (right, back row), with his team-mates

Back in the fold: Fletcher, (right, back row), with his team-mates

'The manager and I have spoken about that. But I feel I am closing in on it. Each game, each training session and each week I am feeling better and stronger. After all I have been through, it is great to be able to say that, and hopefully I will carry on getting stronger and stronger.’

Just to be involved again, to be back among his team-mates, on the pitch, in the dressing room, is giving him enormous satisfaction.

‘When you have been up against it, like I have, you are just happy to be making some sort of contribution,’ he said. ‘Of course, I want to be involved as much as I can. The more minutes under my belt and hours on the training pitch, the better it will be. That is going to help me improve drastically.’

Fletcher wishes to thank Sir Alex Ferguson for not only standing by him but believing in him. ‘I always had faith in myself,’ he said. ‘But it helps to hear the manager’s words of encouragement. That gives you extra confidence.

Bad start: United went 2-0 down against Braga

Bad start: United went 2-0 down against Braga

‘Do I appreciate time out in the middle even more now Well, I’ve always been one who did appreciate the game and how fortunate I have been to be part of things here.

‘But I think you do appreciate it all the more after going through something like this. Without a shadow of a doubt, you take it all in and savour every moment. It’s funny, because I was so desperate to get back playing, I had to be kept in check a bit. I couldn’t wait, but the manager told me I had to be patient, and all his staff made me fully aware of that.

‘When you have been out for a long time, you are desperate to play and maybe push yourself a bit too much. But I had good people around me, like the sports science staff, the manager, Warren Joyce.

‘They were there with the reins, and they would just hold me back. Deep down, I knew they were right, but it is hard when you just want to make up for lost time.’

Andre Villas-Boas hopes Mousa Dembele will return soon

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Villas-Boas hopes Dembele will make speedy return to Tottenham squad

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UPDATED:

23:00 GMT, 21 October 2012

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas hopes he will not be without Mousa Dembele for too long after revealing the midfielder has suffered a recurrence of the niggling hip injury which sidelined him for Fulham last season.

Spurs greatly missed Dembele's calmness and distribution on Saturday as their four-match winning streak came to an end at the hands of Chelsea, who ran out 4-2 winners at White Hart Lane.

Dembele, who has been a big hit since arriving for 15million on deadline day, had to come off at half-time during Belgium's win over Scotland on Tuesday after the 25-year-old fell and triggered an old hip injury he suffered at Fulham last season.

Hope: Mousa Dembele (right) was ruled out after a recurrence of a hip injury

Hope: Mousa Dembele (right) was ruled out after a recurrence of a hip injury

The versatile midfielder missed three games towards the end of January with the same problem and Villas-Boas admits losing Dembele for a similar length of time would be a big blow for the Londoners.

'Top players are missed,' the Spurs boss said.

'He had a scan, but we haven't seen the results yet. He suffers discomfort and pain on his hip which is not something that shows on the scan so it's difficult to assess.

'Fulham took him off for a period of two weeks. He had a chance to play (on Saturday) and had a late fitness test but the pain didn't go away.

'It's something that comes back to him. He fell awkwardly in the Scotland game against Belgium and felt the pain.'

Without Dembele, and Gareth Bale, who missed the game because his partner went into labour, Spurs looked weak in midfield, with Tom Huddlestone still lacking match sharpness after recovering from a long-term ankle injury this summer.

Much had been made of Villas-Boas' hidden determination to get one over on his old employers and defender Jan Vertonghen admits the manner of Saturday's London derby defeat was frustrating.

No revenge: Andre Villas-Boas (right) was unable to get a win against his former employers

No revenge: Andre Villas-Boas (right) was unable to get a win against his former employers

Since Villas-Boas arrived at Spurs this summer, the Portuguese has failed to instil a sense of consistency in his team's home performances, although his predecessor Harry Redknapp also struggled to achieve as much last season, particularly towards the end of the campaign.

The victory over Aston Villa aside, Spurs have failed to produce a solid 90-minute display at White Hart Lane this season.

Only a much-improved second-half display allowed Spurs to beat QPR and the team were patchy at best against West Brom and Norwich.

And on Saturday they were terrible in the first half, allowing Gary Cahill to open the scoring during a period in which Chelsea should have sealed the match.

'At home we seem to play better in the second half than the first,” said Vertonghen, who signed from Ajax this summer.

'We need to think about how to put two strong halves together.

'We need to work out how to put a bit more pressure on teams from the start.

Missed: Dembele's absebce was noticed as Juan Mata and Co dismantled Tottenham at White Hart Lane

Missed: Dembele's absebce was noticed as Juan Mata and Co dismantled Tottenham at White Hart Lane

'They were the best team I faced this year, but I knew they would be.

'I knew their players before I came here and what they are capable of.

'Chelsea are a good team but I feel we should have done better.'

Gallas drew Spurs level with his first for the club just after the break and Jermain Defoe netted his 200th career goal moments later, but things started to unravel for the hosts halfway through the second period.

Gallas, whose poor clearance allowed Cahill to score, again failed to clear his lines properly, allowing Juan Mata to score.

The Frenchman then let the Spaniard slip past him so he could convert an Eden Hazard pass to put Chelsea back in front soon after.

Many were surprised that Villas-Boas has started Gallas in every game this year given that he is 35, but Vertonghen insists the Spurs skipper is not past it.

In action: Dembele (right) played for Belgium as they beat Scotland 2-0 in their World Cup qualifier

In action: Dembele (right) played for Belgium as they beat Scotland 2-0 in their World Cup qualifier

'William is very experienced and with his experience he can be a very good player for us,' Vertonghen said.

'He is our captain and an important player.

'He treats me like I am his little brother so that's why he is a very good captain.

'He always wants the best for me, even though we are both centre-backs. I really appreciate him.'

Darren Fletcher backed to return for Scotland

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Fletcher's Scotland return backed by Ferguson as midfielder makes comeback

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UPDATED:

21:52 GMT, 26 September 2012

Craig Levein has gained the approval of Sir Alex Ferguson to recall captain Darren Fletcher for Scotland’s vital World Cup double header against Wales and Belgium.

The national manager travelled to Old Trafford on Wednesday evening to see the midfielder make his first Manchester United start in 10 months after battling against a chronic bowel condition.

Levein held talks with Ferguson before the 2-1 Capital One Cup win over Newcastle United and the United boss made it clear he would have no problem with Fletcher — who lasted the full 90 minutes — making his Scotland return next month.

Back in action: Darren Fletcher (left) captained Manchester United

Back in action: Darren Fletcher (left) captained Manchester United

‘I met Sir Alex before the game,’ Levein said. ‘The very fact Darren is playing this match for Manchester United tells you that he is ready to be involved in first-team football again. I will obviously have to wait and see how he is after tonight. But I think this is the first step in really getting him back into the fold again. Sir Alex said he would be happy for him to be involved.

‘It’s just fantastic to see him back, especially knowing what he’s been through and how hard he has had to fight.

‘What is really encouraging for me is that he is absolutely desperate to get back to playing for Scotland.’

Fletcher’s comeback match saw him help set up Anderson for the Brazilian’s spectacular opener.

Welcome return: Fletcher made his first start after 10 months out

Welcome return: Fletcher made his first start after 10 months out

‘I thought he did well,’ added Levein. ‘It will take him a while to get all his sharpness back. But you could see his influence on the pitch. He was shouting and directing other players.

‘That in itself is a huge plus for Scotland because we suffered in the last couple of games from not having someone to do that specific role. We had Gary Caldwell to fill the position and he did well, but it’s really great to see Darren back.

‘We had him up for training before the friendly against Australia. The other players have such a huge amount of respect and admiration for him, so it was very beneficial to them to see him around.’

Good news: Craig Levein has welcomed Fletcher back for Scotland

Good news: Craig Levein has welcomed Fletcher back for Scotland

Levein was no less pleased to see Scott Brown back in top form for Celtic in the Champions League.

‘I spoke to Broony as well last Friday, so that was a good day for me,’ he said. ‘He is feeling much better and pain-free, so having him and Darren back would be fantastic. Those two, plus Kenny Miller and Gary Caldwell, probably make up the bulk of the caps in our squad.’

Marc Albrighton set for Aston Villa return from injury

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I trained for a week before realising my foot was broken, says fit-again Albrighton

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UPDATED:

09:03 GMT, 20 September 2012

Marc Albrighton trained for a week before realising he'd broken his foot. But now the Aston Villa winger is ready to get his season started.

The 22-year-old missed most of the pre-season after spending the past three months on the sidelines.

While this weekend's visit to Southampton could come too soon, Albrighton is hoping new boss Paul Lambert will hand him his first start of the season at home to Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion a week later.

Fit again: Marc Albrighton is looking to get his season started after three frustrating months on the sidelines

Fit again: Marc Albrighton is looking to get his season started after three frustrating months on the sidelines

'I have been out for three months,' he said. 'It’s dragged out like it’s been years.

'But then you see Gary Gardner coming in with a cruciate injury and it puts it into perspective. It opens your eyes. It’s a setback, a little knock in reality, and nothing to get too down about.

'I ran down the line, went to pass the ball and change direction and ended up with a stress fracture in my foot.

'I trained on it for a week because I didn’t know I had done anything. It kept getting worse each day and when I went for a scan it came back that I had a stress fracture. It was a shock.'

With the visit of Steve Clarke's Baggies on September 30 in mind, Albrighton is confident he can regain his sharpness in time for the Villa Park derby.

'I started training on Sunday and I did some more on Tuesday. Hopefully I’ll have a couple of weeks to get sharp and then I can get going again.

'I have been doing full training with the group. I have had a few sessions with the fitness coach and the physios previously and it went fine. Touch wood, I’m back now. It’s a dream come true to be back.

'Watching the lads over the last couple of games has been fantastic, but there’s nothing like getting a kit on and going out to play. It will be nice to get the chance to do that.'

Wayne Rooney sees future in midfield

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Rooney sees his future playing in midfield after getting taste last season

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UPDATED:

10:25 GMT, 6 September 2012

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney believes he could have a future playing in midfield when his days as a forward come to an end.

Rooney, who is missing England’s World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine through injury, has revealed his thoughts on his future playing plans in his latest autobiography which is being serialised in the Daily Mirror.

In the thick of it: Wayne Rooney enjoys influencing games from midfield

In the thick of it: Wayne Rooney enjoys influencing games from midfield

Rooney talks of a switch to midfield, where he played last season during an injury crisis at United, explaining: ‘I get more of the ball, I’m involved loads and, after one game, I even think about playing there permanently, but only later in my career.

‘Once I feel that I haven’t got the sharpness needed to get away from defenders, I’ll probably drop back into midfield for a couple of seasons so I can still influence the game.’

US Open 2012: Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer reach fourth round

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Ferrer and Djokovic roll into fourth round at Flushing Meadows

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UPDATED:

19:46 GMT, 2 September 2012

David Ferrer battled his way past Lleyton Hewitt to reach the fourth round of the US Open on Sunday while defending champion Novak Djokovic continued his New York stroll.

The second seed has looked in fine form at Flushing Meadows and he needed only an hour and 37 minutes to defeat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-3 6-2 6-2.

Benneteau is the 31st seed and the man who almost beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon this year but he could do nothing to threaten Djokovic.

Easy: Novak Djokovic made it through at a canter

Easy: Novak Djokovic made it through at a canter

The Serb, who beat Rafael Nadal in the final last year, had been slightly off colour after losing to the Spaniard in the French Open final to see his hopes of four straight grand slam titles go up in smoke.

But he has hit form again on the north American hard courts, winning the title in Toronto and reaching the final in Cincinnati, and he made it only 14 games dropped in three rounds.

Benneteau simply could not live with Djokovic's power and precision from the back of the court and time and again found himself out-rallied as the Serb powered away 41 winners and made only 12 unforced errors.

Djokovic is not used to playing in the first match of the day, but there was certainly no lack of sharpness from the world number two.

Obliging: David Ferrer signs autographs after winning his match

Obliging: David Ferrer signs autographs after winning his match

He said: 'He's a quality player and has a lot of variety in his game, so I came to the match knowing that I have to start very strong.

'And winning the first set obviously brought me a lot of momentum and confidence to continue on playing well. I felt from the start that from the baseline I was very comfortable, both defence and offence, in that position.

'So I tried to be aggressive and not allow him to come to the net because he plays good when he's in control.'

Ferrer and Hewitt are possibly the game's two grittiest competitors and it was no surprise the match lasted for more than three hours.

Beaten: Lleyton Hewitt was seen off by Ferrer

Beaten: Lleyton Hewitt was seen off by Ferrer

Hewitt, the 2001 champion, needed a wild card to get into the tournament as he is still working his way back from foot surgery earlier this year but there are signs that he is rediscovering some of his old form.

The 31-year-old had five set points in the first set tie-break but Ferrer simply would not give in, setting up the set point he took with some incredible retrieving.

Hewitt levelled but went an early break down in the third set and the five-setter he had against Gilles Muller in the previous round began to catch up with him as Ferrer rather ran away with it in the fourth to win 7-6 (11/9) 4-6 6-3 6-0.