Tennis: Ferrer, Almagro charge ahead

AUCKLAND: Spanish guns David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro were firing on all cylinders at the Auckland ATP International, blasting their way into the quarter-finals with ease. The top two seeds were making their first appearance in the tournament after first-round byes and wasted no time stamping their mark. Ferrer, the world number five, raced past Lukas Rosol from the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2, while Almagro, 10th in the world, beat Colombian Santiago Giraldo by the same margin. Ferrer will play Alejandro Falla in the quarter-finals after he beat Potito Starace 7-6, 6-3. Almagro will meet eighth-seed Philipp Kohlschrieber, who beat Ryan Harrison 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2012.