Ferrer Reaches Kuala Lumpur SFs with 62nd Win

The World No. 5 continued his quest for a sixth title of 2012 with a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Igor Sijsling of Denmark on Friday.

By Chris Oddo

(September 28, 2012)—Call him the Energizer Bunny, the Little Beast, or just call him plain awesome. Whatever you call David Ferrer it’s not going to change the way he competes for points on the ATP Tour.

The World No. 5 continued his quest for a sixth title of 2012 with a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Igor Sijsling of Denmark on Friday, notching his tour-leading 62nd win in the process. Ferrer saved six of seven break points faced in the final set, and converted his only two break opportunities of the decider to finally vanquish the World No. 97 in two hours and three minutes.

(Related: Malaysian Open results)

The victory was the Spaniard’s eighth in his last nine deciding sets. Nobody other than Nadal or Djokovic has defeated Ferrer in a semifinal in 2012.

Ferrer will face seventh-seeded Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the semifinals on Saturday. Benneteau won all but seven points on his serve in a 58-minute thrashing of Colombian southpaw Alejandro Falla, 6-2, 6-2.

Benneteau owns a 3-4 career record against Ferrer, and has lost the last two matches and five sets.

In the other semifinal Juan Monaco will try to keep his hopes for a fourth ATP title of 2012 alive when he faces Japan's Kei Nishikori. Monaco took out first-time ATP quarterfinalist Vasek Pospisil of Canada 6-3, 6-4, while Nishikori advanced when Russian Nikolay Davydenko retired with an adductor strain after dropping the first set 6-4.

Nishikori reached his first ATP semifinal of the season after failing to win his first six quarterfinals without winning a set.