Ferrero holds his nerve to earn marathon clay win

Spain's former King of Clay Juan Carlos Ferrero showed increasing signs of life on the surface Tuesday, scraping through a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 marathon over compatriot Alberto Montanes at the 850,000-euro Barcelona Open. The former Roland Garros champion, who lifted the Barcelona trophy in 2001, struggled in the first round meeting before finally following up on a semi-final showing last week in Monte Carlo.
The former world number one who suffered through a season of injury and illness in 2004, overcame a potentially distracting moment late in the match as Montanes took treatment for thigh cramps at 30-all while serving for the match 5-4.
But after the delay, Ferrero held his nerve, breaking his countryman to square the set at 5-apiece.
The end came two games later after two hours, 42 minutes, when Montanes drove a forehand into the net as he returned a Ferrero ball which bounced off the net cord. Ferrero, unseeded but with a Special Exempt entry due to his prowess last week in the Principality, where he lost to Guillermo Coria, notched his 13th victory of the season against nine defeats.
The Spaniard, who dominated the surface two seasons ago, has vowed to lift his level. He next faces another of the 19 other Spaniards who began the week at the real Club de Tenis when he takes on 12th seed Feliciano Lopez.
"I have a lot of tournaments until Roland Garros," said Ferrero. "I'm am going to try to be better and better each tournament. We'll see how I'll do."
Play on the clay dragged during a sunny afternoon with 11th-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek earning a comeback win over Irakli Labadze of Georgia 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Spanish and South American specialists sailed through with Argentine 14th seed Juan Chela ousting Spaniard Alberto Portas 6-4, 7-6 (7/2). Locals Alberto Martin, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Younes El Aynaoui, and Santiago Ventura, who beat veteran Galo Blanco 6-3, 6-3, also reached the second round.
Argentine Agustin Calleri ended the hopes of French teenager Gael Monfils 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2). Third-seeded former champion Carlos Moya, a Monte Carlo first-round victim, was opening against Finnish qualifier Jarkko Nieminen, who beat him in their only other meeting on hardcourt in Bangkok two years ago.