Fernando Verdasco, Adrian Mannarino qualify for the quarterfinals – AEGON Championships 2011
Fernando Verdasco defeats David Nalbandian 7-5, 6-1
Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, ranked 23rd in the world, prevailed over world number 24 David Nalbandian of Argentina in straight sets 7-5, 6-1 in the third round of AEGON Championships at the Queen’s Club on Thursday.
It took the Spanish just an hour and thirteen minutes to beat his opponent.
Verdasco and Nalbandian held their serve in the first eleven games of the opening set, taking the score to 6-5 in favour of Verdasco. The Spaniard finally broke the ice as he hit a forehand winner to break his opponent in the twelfth
game and win the set 7-5. The left-handed hit five aces and 70 percent of the first serves, scoring 75 percent of the points on them in the first set.
After winning a close opening set, Verdasco came roaring in the second set as he broke the Argentinean in the second and fourth game, blazing forward to a 5-0 lead. Nalbandian avoided a bagel set as he managed to hold his serve
in the sixth game and reduced the Spaniard’s lead to 5-1. Verdasco served out the set in the next game, grabbing it 6-1.
The 27-year-old will face third seed Andy Roddick of USA in the quarterfinals. The American ousted Kevin Anderson of South Africa in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the third round.
Adrian Mannarino beats Juan Martin Del Potro 7-6(3), 7-6(7)
World number 54 Adrian Mannarino of France needed two tie-breaks to upset world number 22 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in straight sets 7-6(3), 7-6(7) in the round of 16. The match lasted for two hours.
Mannarino and Del Potro failed to break each other’s serve in the first set, equalling the score at 6-6 and taking the set to a tie-break. The French raced to a 5-1 lead in the tie-break and capitalised on triple mini-break to
win it 7-3. The six feet tall delivered two aces and saved all the three break points he faced in the first set. Mannarino survived ten aces fired by his big serving opponent in the opening set.
The French broke Del Potro in the opening game of the second set but failed to consolidate on it, getting broken immediately and levelling the score at 1-1. Mannarino broke again in the seventh game and this time the left-handed
held his serve in the next game to take a 5-3 lead. However, the French could not serve out the set in the tenth game and tied the score at 5-5. The set was forced into a tie-break and Mannarino claimed a late mini-break to win it 9-7. The Soizy resident hit
three aces and 71 percent of the first serves in the second set.
The unseeded player will take on either thirteenth seed Sam Querrey or James Ward of Great Britain in the quarterfinals.
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