KEY POINTS:
With rich visitors paying up to 900 euros ($1740) euros a night to stay at a hotel he owns, Juan Carlos Ferrero is not short of an income if his tennis career dries up.
Today's Heineken Open quarterfinal victory over Nicolas Massu suggests that the 27-year-old Spaniard's first career won't be over for a few years yet.
The former world number one has languished in the 20s in world rankings in the past few years, handicapped by some injuries and the rise of players such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the man he beat as an 18-year-old at the Heineken Open in 2000.
But he looked in good form when beating Jesse Levine and Jurgen Melzer yesterday, and today showed nerve and fighting qualities to handle breezy conditions to defeat Massu 4-6 6-3 6-4 in a 2-1/2 hour epic on centre court today.
"I don't think that I played my best tennis today - I think I played the other two matches a little bit better yesterday.
"The wind was a little bit more difficult today but mentally I was very consistent all the match and I think it was one of the keys to winning.
"I played good tennis but I should have made more winners with my forehand and been a little bit more aggressive."
Apart from defeating Federer in 2000, Ferrero hasn't done well his three previous visits to Auckland. His best effort was a quarterfinal appearance in 2005 and he lost to Massu in the first round last year.
"Last year was very different. He played very good and I played so bad," Ferrero said.
"This year it was a good battle and we both played good tennis.
"He has a big serve but I think my returns were very good today."
Since he began playing tennis, the 2003 French Open champion has started a tennis academy, brought a tennis tournament to Valencia, and set up Hotel Ferrero about 30 minutes south of Valencia, with rates between 200 and 900 euros a night.
"I bought an old house and I rebuilt everything. I did it because I like to make something so I can be busy in the future because my tennis career is going to be finished in three, four, or five years.
"If not I'm going to be so bored at home."
But Ferrero insists he still harbours ambitions to get back to the top ranks of tennis again.
"I want to finish in the top 10 players again," Ferrero said. "I worked hard in December so I could play very well here."
"I want to win some tournaments, enjoy myself and keep a high motivation level."
- NZPA
