2010 U.S. Open: The Reign of the Underdogs
As much as professionals such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal remain in the limelight, athletes such as Fernando Verdasco and Robin Soderling tough it out to stay on top of their game, advancing at the majors alongside the very best in the business. These sportsmen merely lack a breakthrough, which they are more than capable of achieving considering the fact that they have limitless potential.
Seeded no. 5 at the 2010 U.S. Open, Sweden’s Robin Soderling crushed Thiemo De Bakker from the Netherlands in a third round match of the draw. De Bakker was defeated six games to two in the first set of the match.
Soderling then proceeded to bag the second set based upon his six games to three win. Furthermore, the Swede took the following set six games to three, making a place for himself in the fourth round of the championship while the Frenchman was sent back home. Robin will face Spain’s Albert Montañés in the fourth round of his draw.
Moreover, Spain’s Fernando Verdasco won his fourth round match of the 2010 U.S. Open Men’s singles category. Nalbandian was outperformed six games to two in the first set. However, the Argentine bounced back in the second set, only to take it six games to three. But Verdasco wasn’t going to let him go that easy. The Spaniard put a halt to Nalbandian’s dreams by taking the third set six games to three and then verily taking the deciding fourth set six games to four.
Upon making a place for himself in the fourth round of the championship, Verdasco will go head-to-head with fellow countryman David Ferrer in his match of the Men’s singles draw.
Prior to Soderling’s third round win, the tennis ace defeated America’s Taylor Dent in his second round match. Dent was defeated 6-2, 6-2 and 6-4 in the match played against the Swede.
Surprisingly enough, the professional had already gone through his fair share of competition in the first round match of the draw. Austria’s Andreas Haider-Maurer gave Soderling a rather tough time after making a recovery in the third and the fourth set of the match. It was however, the Swede that came out victorious as the score read 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 5-7 and 6-4.
Earlier to his win against Nalbandian, Verdasco defeated Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in his second round match. Mannarino was defeated 6-1, 6-2 and 6-2, three sets in a row by the Spaniard.
Verdasco played a five set match against Italy’s Fabio Fognini. The Italian sportsman took the first set 6-1, after which Fernando took the second set 7-5. The professional proceeded to take the third set 6-1, until Fabio took the fourth set 6-4. The deciding fifth set however, went in favour of Verdasco, as he won it 6-3.
Based upon Soderling and Verdasco’s performance at the U.S. Open this year, one could most definitely expect to see the players make appearances in the quarter-finals of the championship.
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