Receiving a first-round bye, he beat Filippo Volandri in the second round, finally winning an opening-round match after suffering four consecutive opening-round exits. In the quarterfinals, he beat Albert Ramos to set up a semifinal meeting with defending champion and former world no. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
With a first-round advantage, he defeated Filippo Volandri in the second round, securing his first win in the opening round after four consecutive defeats in the initial rounds. In the quarterfinals, he outperformed Albert Ramos to set up a semifinal match against Juan Carlos Ferrero, the defending champion and former world No. 1.