The Ageless David Ferrer.

[BGod]

It seems to me not enough people discuss David Ferrer's magical, too good to be true career resurgence.

Or hell....him hitting his peak in his 30s.


Making Slams in 2003, the man reached 3 quarterfinals and one semifinal until the age of 28, going on 29 when he reached the semifinal of the Australian Open in 2011. He actually failed to reach at least the quarters from the 2008 Wimbledon until that 2011 Aussie Open.

As is custom, he seemed to come back down to earth getting stopped in the 4th rounds of the remaining Majors that season, but beginning in 2012 at age 29 going on 30, he has made 10 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals or better.

So what are the reasons? History points to only 2:

1. Performance enhancers that have given him an edge he lacked prior.

or

2. A competition drop off from the big names of Djokovic, Nadal, Murray, Federer that have created a gaping void Ferrer just so happened to fill.




For similair career patterns, one has to look at Li Na and possibly Francesca Schiavone for Slam performance, however on the men's side I have failed to see quite the same pattern. There have been players who showed flashes early in their career and then did little in their 20s until the later stages with a resurgence, but Ferrer's early career successes were still a notch below what he's been doing as of late. Between 2005-2006 he made 3 semifinals at the Masters 1000 tournaments and 6 quarterfinals. Between 2011-2013, he won a title, made 4 finals, 1 semi and 7 quarters.

 

[easywin]

Why can't he be the exception of the rule and actually improve his level later in his career ? Theoretically, overall performance and especially endurance hits the peak at approximately 30 years - for most guys in tennis that moment is also the point where joints and ligaments start falling apart so their performance will often drop.

Still there is no valid reason to asume doping just because his playstyle is build around stamina and consistency. He is a small guy so there is a good chance he will have less problem with his body when he gets "older" ( I mean tennis-old, so 30+ ).

He was reaching 3R/4R at slams pretty consistently from 2006-2011.
If you look at some opponents he lost against 2010-2011 before dropping out, it seems quite obvious to me that he simply upped his level by a certain margin while others dropped off or didnt improve. Guys like Tsonga,Monfils,Soderling - they could surpass Ferrer up to this day but some are not interested in serious tennis (Monfils) and some are/were injured/ill (Delpo,Soderling).
Look at those losses 2010/2011 in the slams.

2010 2R Australian Open : Loss against Baghdatis in 5
2010 4R Wimbledon : Loss against Soderling in 5
2010 3R Roland Garros : Loss against Melzer in 3 - Melzer had a magic run there and lost in the SF against Rafa who won RG without dropping a set
2010 4R Wimbledon : Loss against Soderling in 5
2011 SF Australian Open : Loss against Murray in 4 - close match though
2011 4R Roland Garros : Loss against Monfils in 5
2011 3R Wimbledon : Loss against Tsonga in 3
2011 4R US Open : Loss against Roddick in 4

It's not like he had no chance in 2010/11 or even 2008/09 against other top10 players and then suddenly stomped everyone in 2012. I don't think Ferrer is a player for the conspiracy theories or doping talk.

So i'd go with the 2nd point but it's not just a drop off, but also Ferrers own improvement - everybody knows his story. How he became a hard worker, quit smoking etc. The story might be exagerated but it shows that he turned serious at some point in his career. Something I doubt happened to some other players.

 

[jakemcclain32]

And the performance enhancers BS needs to die.

TW seems to think that if you take any enhancer, it means the guy ceases to work ridiculous hard, and he's eating Cheetos in his skivvies while watching Real Housewives marathons.

There is no proof he took enhancers or blood doped, but even if he did, the guy is still a ridiculous hard working SOB. My opinion of him would never change, even if it was found true.

 

[aldeayeah]

He's been very lucky with injuries too. Were it not for injuries, I think most players wouldn't drop so much in level with age. And PEDs don't help with that either.

 

[sbengte]

And the performance enhancers BS needs to die.

TW seems to think that if you take any enhancer, it means the guy ceases to work ridiculous hard, and he's eating Cheetos in his skivvies while watching Real Housewives marathons.

There is no proof he took enhancers or blood doped, but even if he did, the guy is still a ridiculous hard working SOB. My opinion of him would never change, even if it was found true.

I am not sure if you saw my other posts on this , but remember I was terribly upset after the RG QF debacle when he inexplicably faded away after the first set ? I knew something was amiss and turns out he was (still is ?) ill after RG and that explains the listlessness and seeming exhaustion he showed after the first set.

 

[jakemcclain32]

I am not sure if you saw my other posts on this , but remember I was terribly upset after the RG QF debacle when he inexplicably faded away after the first set ? I knew something was amiss and turns out he was (still is ?) ill after RG and that explains the listlessness and seeming exhaustion he showed after the first set.

He's redlining, and I've been saying this since I came back here.

When you play at a level akin to a football player on every single point, the body will give way eventually, no matter what work you put in. I see retirement coming soon, and if he somehow(not a chance) pulled off a Bartoli in a slam this year, he'd just end it there I think

 

[sbengte]

He's redlining, and I've been saying this since I came back here.

When you play at a level akin to a football player on every single point, the body will give way eventually, no matter what work you put in. I see retirement coming soon, and if he somehow(not a chance) pulled off a Bartoli in a slam this year, he'd just end it there I think

I know and it is just sad to think of him retiring without a slam even after working so hard with his limited weapons, but that is the most likely possibility

 

[ivan_the_terrible]

He sure is the exception - is he not the only guy/gal that smokes (cigarettes)?

I guess his good doctor del Moral prescribed those to calm him down?

 

[syc23]

Ferrer is an inspiration to us all. He doesn't possess the god like abilities of the top 4 but has achieved what he has so far with drive and hard work. Just imagine if Tomic had the same work ethic and attitude...

 

[jakemcclain32]

Ferrer is an inspiration to us all. He doesn't possess the god like abilities of the top 4 but has achieved what he has so far with drive and hard work. Just imagine if Tomic had the same work ethic and attitude...

What amazes me is that he has the same amount of wins over the big 4 than guys like Delpo, Berdy, and Tsonga do...and they have far superior talent.

It is what it is...drive and hard work

 

[newpball]

Ferrer is an inspiration to us all. He doesn't possess the god like abilities of the top 4 but has achieved what he has so far with drive and hard work. Just imagine if Tomic had the same work ethic and attitude...

Yes!

Never won a slam, he won exactly one masters tournament but nevertheless a player who is still around and a serious factor for many of his opponents!

:grin:

 

[booson]

And the performance enhancers BS needs to die.

Why is that?

TW seems to think that if you take any enhancer, it means the guy ceases to work ridiculous hard, and he's eating Cheetos in his skivvies while watching Real Housewives marathons.

Who says that? Doping allows you to train more because of shorter recovery times. That's what people say.

There is no proof he took enhancers or blood doped

Because that's conclusive evidence... [/sarcasm]

but even if he did, the guy is still a ridiculous hard working SOB.

So... Do you know his training routines? You know for a fact that he trains more than any top 10 player?

He's been very lucky with injuries too. Were it not for injuries, I think most players wouldn't drop so much in level with age. And PEDs don't help with that either.

PEDs don't help with injuries? Jesus, people share everywhere (even in this forum) medical research published in journals about the benefits of PEDs in injuries recovery when the PEDs topic is brought up. And still ignorant statements like these are common to find. This is so damn sad.

 

[jakemcclain32]

Any top 5 player? No.

Top ten? Absolutely.

 

[booson]

Any top 5 player? No.

Top ten? Absolutely.

How do you know?

 

[Deleted member 307496]

He is far from ageless. He's slipped down to 7th in the rankings and is probably due to fall further.

 

[newpball]

He is far from ageless. He's slipped down to 7th in the rankings and is probably due to fall further.

He is 6th in the race, a good Wimbledon will keep him there.

:grin:

 

[jakemcclain32]

How do you know?

Because if Berdych worked anywhere near as hard, he'd have more than 9 titles.

 

[CrazyTennisFan]

It seems to me not enough people discuss David Ferrer's magical, too good to be true career resurgence.

Or hell....him hitting his peak in his 30s.


Making Slams in 2003, the man reached 3 quarterfinals and one semifinal until the age of 28, going on 29 when he reached the semifinal of the Australian Open in 2011. He actually failed to reach at least the quarters from the 2008 Wimbledon until that 2011 Aussie Open.

As is custom, he seemed to come back down to earth getting stopped in the 4th rounds of the remaining Majors that season, but beginning in 2012 at age 29 going on 30, he has made 10 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinals or better.

So what are the reasons? History points to only 2:

1. Performance enhancers that have given him an edge he lacked prior.

or

2. A competition drop off from the big names of Djokovic, Nadal, Murray, Federer that have created a gaping void Ferrer just so happened to fill.




For similair career patterns, one has to look at Li Na and possibly Francesca Schiavone for Slam performance, however on the men's side I have failed to see quite the same pattern. There have been players who showed flashes early in their career and then did little in their 20s until the later stages with a resurgence, but Ferrer's early career successes were still a notch below what he's been doing as of late. Between 2005-2006 he made 3 semifinals at the Masters 1000 tournaments and 6 quarterfinals. Between 2011-2013, he won a title, made 4 finals, 1 semi and 7 quarters.

if the majority of his GS wins end at quarter final that means he does not have an edge over the top 4 players. It means only when he meets them he loses. so 2nd point is not realistic.

I think it is more experience and athleticism

 

[The Green Mile]

He sure is the exception - is he not the only guy/gal that smokes (cigarettes)?

I guess his good doctor del Moral prescribed those to calm him down?

He used to have regular smokes between changeovers in matches, around 2007-2008 period... I don't know how often or even IF he still smokes now though...

 

[booson]

Because if Berdych worked anywhere near as hard, he'd have more than 9 titles.

That's the weirdest argument ever.

Do you know these guys' training routines and schedules?

 

[sbengte]

He used to have regular smokes between changeovers in matches, around 2007-2008 period... I don't know how often or even IF he still smokes now though...

I still haven't figured out if this is a TW joke or for real. Any video/picture proof of Ferrer smoking ?

 

[newpball]

I still haven't figured out if this is a TW joke or for real. Any video/picture proof of Ferrer smoking ?

Here is an ESPN article referring to it, it seems he likes burgers too.

After upsetting his compatriot and world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the fourth round in a match that ended at 1:50 a.m., Ferrer chowed down on a Big Mac at 4:15 a.m. "Only thing is open 24 hours," he explained. "I'm very hungry." A few months ago at the Davis Cup tie against the U.S. team in Winston-Salem, N.C., Ferrer, who did not play because of a foot injury, was spotted smoking on the loading deck of the arena.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/usopen07/news/story?page=notebookuso070906

:grin:

 

[jakemcclain32]

Here is an ESPN article referring to it, it seems he likes burgers too.

After upsetting his compatriot and world No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the fourth round in a match that ended at 1:50 a.m., Ferrer chowed down on a Big Mac at 4:15 a.m. "Only thing is open 24 hours," he explained. "I'm very hungry." A few months ago at the Davis Cup tie against the U.S. team in Winston-Salem, N.C., Ferrer, who did not play because of a foot injury, was spotted smoking on the loading deck of the arena.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/usopen07/news/story?page=notebookuso070906



:grin:

Look at the date. What do you bet change of diet had something to do with this resurgence?

 

[booson]

Look at the date. What do you bet change of diet had something to do with this resurgence?

Well, that article was old and they still described Ferrer as an "one-man alternative energy source". Perhaps he began with the "anti-aging treatment" (HGH, steroids, testosterone and EPO) some months before the article was written. Or, as you call it, working "REALLY HARD".

 

[Chico]

Andrei Kuznetsov disagrees with OP.

 

[PrinceMoron]

He used to have regular smokes between changeovers in matches, around 2007-2008 period... I don't know how often or even IF he still smokes now though...

Kuznetsov was the one smoking yesterday.

 

[The Green Mile]

Kuznetsov was the one smoking yesterday.

:grin::wink:

 

[PrinceMoron]

Smoking.......

 

[BeGreat]

his "ennnnnhhhhhhhhhhhhh" grunt means i will never watch him.
his shoving of the umpire means i'll never support him or care about him.

 

[djokovicgonzalez2010]

I'm a fan of his, but yeah he probably uses PEDs. All the Spaniards do from what I've heard- and most everyone else too.

 

[booson]

I'm a fan of his, but yeah he probably uses PEDs. All the Spaniards do from what I've heard- and most everyone else too.

I love you sincerity <3 xD