2011 BNP Paribas Open: ATP Seeds Part IX
World Number 9 Fernando Verdasco
At the age of 27, World Number 9 Fernando Verdasco is one of the older players in the Association of Tennis Professionals [ATP] Top Ten pros. The player has been on the ATP Tour since 2001, and is the third and last Spanish player
in the ATP Top Ten. He is seeded ninth at this year’s ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells.
Verdasco has participated regularly in the Indian Wells tournament, without missing a single edition of the event since 2004. His first appearance at the event was at a time when he was ranked World Number 66. Meeting an early
exit, Verdasco was upset by French pro Nicolas Escude in the first round of the tournament. Although he improved his performance in 2005 by defeating American then-World Number 367 Wayne Odesnik in straight sets in the first round, he had the misfortune of
coming up against American Number 1 Andy Roddick in the second set. The American pro was ranked World Number 3 at the time, and ended Verdasco’s run in three sets. Verdasco was ranked World Number 45 at the time of this tournament.
The Spaniard posted similar results for the next three years. He was seeded on each occasion, but did not make it past the second round of the ATP Masters tournament in these three showings.
However, the Spanish player maximized his skill and potential at the 2009 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells event. He was ranked World Number 10, and received a bye in the first round. His second round opponent was then-World
Number 69 Thomaz Bellucci, who was ousted in straight sets by Verdasco. The Spaniard went on to the third round to defeat Frenchman Richard Gasquet in straight sets, before ousting German pro Philipp Kohlschreiber in the fourth to reach the quarterfinals.
Current World Number 2 Roger Federer defeated him here, ending his most successful showing at the California courts.
Last year, Fernando Verdasco was World Number 12 at the time of the Indian Wells event. He moved directly to the second round to defeat Paraguay’s Ramon Delgado in his first match. However, the Spaniard’s victory was short-lived
and he was quickly defeated at the hands of Czech pro Tomas Berdych in the third round.
Verdasco has been on a bit of a downward slope since the San Jose tournament, when wild card Milos Raonic upset him in the final to take the title. He suffered a first round defeat against the same player within the week at Memphis,
and could not recover in time for the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, where he was ousted in the first round once again. He is not expected to perform too well at the Indian Wells event, and a good showing would come as a surprise to most spectators.
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