Older and wiser

At age 30, Ferreira playing better than ever this week

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Wayne Ferreira says he's improving with age.

"It's like wine, you get better with age," the 30-year-old Ferreira said after surviving a four hour and 10 minute marathon against Spaniard Albert Costa to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 9-7 at the Australian Open Monday.

The win puts the South African into his first Grand Slam quarterfinal since 1994.

Ferreira, ranked 59 in the world and a former world No. 6, said he is slower because of his age. But he said he has compensated by improving endurance and honing his strokes -- in particular, his backhand.

The work is paying off. He saved two match points and came back from two sets and 5-1 down to beat Ivan Ljubicic in the third round.

Ferreira, who made the Australian Open semifinals in 1992 and reached the third round in Melbourne last year, said he concentrated hard in the fifth set against Costa.

"A win's a win but obviously you want them quicker than that," he said. "I'm a little sore, a little stiff right now."

Ferreira said he had struggled in recent years against bigger, harder-hitting players. He made his only semifinal in 2001 at Queens in London and lost in the first round of three of the four Grand Slam events.

His ranking fell from No. 13 to No. 62, his lowest in 11 years.

"I've been working on one aspect of my game, my backhand," said the veteran of 14 years on the tour.

"I've been hurt really badly in the past three or four years by my backhand. By not being aggressive and hitting it short, and guys overpowering me and beating me," he said.

"I've worked a lot on that, trying to step forward and be aggressive and it's paying off now. It's taken me five months of work, even though it seems like a little, simple thing.

"Now that I'm getting older I've got to try and figure out new ways of beating the younger guys," he said.

The South African has capitalized on the way that the men's draw has opened up because of upsets and injuries.

He next faces the winner of a match between No. 8 Pete Sampras and No. 9 Marat Safin. The prospect does not daunt Ferreira.

"I think I'm playing well enough to beat anybody," he said. "It doesn't really matter who's left. It's up to me really."

 

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