Portas shocks Hewitt to book final v Ferrero

Ossian Shine

Qualifier Albert Portas shocked seventh seed Lleyton Hewitt 3-6 7-5 6-2 on Saturday to set up a Hamburg Masters final with Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The final, Portas's first in a Masters event, will be the 50th all-Spanish ATP final since 1990 and the third this year.

Earlier Ferrero thrashed friend and Davis Cup team mate Albert Costa 6-1 6-2.

It was Ferrero's 16th consecutive victory, an ATP-Tour best this year and puts him within one match of joining an exclusive group who have won both Hamburg and Rome in the same season.

Qualifier Portas was overwhelmed in the first set of his match but hit back with some blistering backhand winners and drop shots to level.

The world number 42 broke in the first game of the deciding set and never looked back to record the best win of his career in two hours.

"I played really, really well," he grinned afterwards. "I am feeling great right now but I know tomorrow will be so tough."

Ferrero dominated Costa throughout their match. He started in determined fashion on a sun-drenched Centre Court at the Rothenbaum Tennis Centre.

After holding serve, the 21-year-old dug his heels in and broke Costa in a 13-minute see-saw game.

Although he was broken back, Ferrero broke twice more to romp away with the set 6-1 in just 36 minutes.

He refused to let up in the second set and Costa, who had looked so impressive in beating Fabrice Santoro in the quarter-finals, was rendered ineffective.

Ferrero wrapped things up with a down-the-line forehand after just 73 minutes.

Victory for Ferrero on Sunday would give the Spaniard a fifth title of the year after victories in Dubai, Estoril, Barcelona and Rome.

Only five men have achieved the Rome and Hamburg claycourt double in a season -- Jaroslav Drobny, Lew Hoad, Rod Laver, Marty Mulligan and Manuel Orantes.

Orantes, a player who helped put Spanish tennis on the map, was the last to pull it off in 1972.

With Manuel Santana and Andres Gimeno, Orantes flew the flag for the Iberian nation in tennis circles in the 1960s and 70s and remains Spain's most prolific title winner with 32 triumphs.

Ferrero has just six tournament wins to his name so far -- but is very much part of a new Spanish dynasty.

A five-set victory against world number one Gustavo Kuerten in the Rome final last week handed him a first Masters crown.