Ferrer, who hails from nearby Alicante on Spain’s east coast and who also had runs to the semi-finals of Roland Garros and the US Open, made it six wins from seven season finals, although 21st-ranked Dolgopolov made him work.
“It’s always very difficult to play at home. I knew it would be more difficult to win the title again. He’s a very talented opponent. I played aggressively and it went well for me,” said Ferrer, the 2008 and 2010 champion in Valencia. “I want to dedicate the victory to Juan Carlos Ferrero [the former world No. 1 who played his last tournament] on his farewell. He has given me the opportunity to grow as a person and as a player.”
A break in the fourth game set Ferrer on his way in the opening set, finished off with a service game to love, but Dolgopolov pocketed a swift break as he raced 3-0 clear in the second set and maintained his advantage to level the contest.
In a tight decider, Dolgopolov had two break chances, but Ferrer dug in as he finally converted for a 4-3 lead, after which Dolgopolov began to commit too many forced errors as he saw his challenge fall away.
RSS