Ferrero adavances to Casablanca final

Juan Carlos Ferrero beat top-seeded Igor Andreev in straight sets Saturday in one semifinal at the Grand Prix Hassan II tennis tournament in Casablanca.

The former world No. 1 from Spain took a little over 2 hours to record a 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 decision against his Russian opponent.

The match had only three combined double faults, while Ferrero had countless break opportunities on Andreev’s serve.

He converted his third and final break for a 5-3 edge in the final set, then won the match-clinching game despite his lone double fault.

The first set was a bit crazy, the 29-year-old Ferrero said after qualifying for a final for the first time in 15 months. I was happy that I was strong mentally after the break. My tennis was so-so today, but I was 100 percent mentally during the whole match.

In Sunday’s final, Ferrero faces fifth-seeded Florent Serra of France, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over No. 3 seed Albert Montanes of Spain.