Juan Carlos Ferrero, the star ol Spain's Davis Cup triumph in Barcelona in December, is making himself a hero in ihe Middle Fast loo alter saving three match points to upset the seedings for the second successive day.

Ferrero's 5-7. 7-6, 6-3 victory over the sixth-seeded Dominik Hrbaty came thanks to a recovery' from 15-40 on his serve at 4-5 in the second set. and it carried him to ihe final of the Dubai Open for ihe second year in succession.

"I was very pleased io save (he (wo match points and, alter the tie-break, jusi glad still to be in it."

said Ferrero, who sounded ax dazed by his escapes as wire crowd, for he had forgotten one of i he match points.

Thai was the most dangerous of the three, in which Ferrero traded drives from the back with the in-form Hrbaty and was fortunate to sec the Slovakian's faded forehand drive slew wide of the sideline.

The two match points Ferrero did remember — and few would forget them — was when he smacked down two successive aces from 15-40 to deny an opponent who for two seis was ihe more enterprising and confidentlooking player.

Bul in the tic-break Hrbaly served two disastrous double

faults in a row' which effectively cost him the sol and after that though rarely at his best, Ferrero played with more conviction. . -'t

The Davis Cup meant there was not much lime to get ready for this year, admitted Ferrero, who had played only four matches all year before this week. ’I didn't do well at the Australian Open or at Rotterdam, but now 1 am starting to play better."

Nevertheless it took an un-characierislically poor game concluded by Hrbaty's seventh double fault before the tenacious Ferrero made the only break of ihe final sei. Ii look him to 4-2 and after it he soldiered his way to his improbable victory.