Ferrer, Verdasco reach finals in Acapulco

ACAPULCO, Mexico, March 3 (UPI) -- David Ferrer moved closer to his second tournament title in as many weeks Friday by reaching the finals of the Mexican Open. The top-seeded Ferrer, who emerged as champion last week in Buenos Aires, defeated Santiago Giraldo in the semifinals 7-5, 6-4. Ferrer's opponent in the finals will be Fernando Verdasco, who disposed of Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-3. Verdasco is seeded eighth in this tournament and pulled off the upset of the week in the quarterfinals when he eliminated No. 2 seed Nicolas Almagro. Verdasco holds a 7-6 all-time advantage over Ferrer, but Ferrer won their only meeting this year in New Zealand prior to the Australian Open.