Fernando Verdasco defeats Xavier Malisse in the second round – French Open 2011
World number 20 Fernando Verdasco of Spain came back strong after losing the first set to battle past world number 40 Xavier Malisse of Belgium in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-1 in the second round of French Open at Roland Garros
in Paris on Thursday. It took the Spaniard two hours and 39 minutes to oust his opponent in a tough encounter.
Malisse took an early lead as he broke Verdasco in the third game of the opening set and consolidated on it to take a 3-1 lead. However, the Spaniard broke back in the sixth game and levelled the score at 3-3. Malisse broke again
in the ninth game and this time he did not allow Verdasco to break back, serving out the set at 5-4. The Belgian made the difference with his strong return of serve as he won 52 percent of the receiving points in the first set.
Verdasco broke the Belgian once in the second set to win it 6-3. The Spaniard fired a couple of aces and 76 percent of the first serves in the opening set, bagging 72 percent of the points on them. The left-handed hit six winners
and eight unforced errors compared to just three winners and thirteen unforced errors by Malisse. Verdasco won the only break point he received in the second set. Whereas, Malisse failed to convert the single break point he received in the second set.
Malisse came roaring in the third set, winning first two games to take a 2-0 lead. However, Verdasco fought back and broke the Belgian in the fifth game, holding his serve in the next game to tie the score at 3-3. The next six
games went with serve to square off the score at 6-6, taking the set to a tie-break.
Verdasco grabbed a late mini-break in the tie-break, clinching it 7-5. The six feet and two inches tall kept his first serve percentage at 70 percent and bagged 65 percent of the points on the first serve in the third set. The
27-year-old capitalised on one of the two break point opportunities he created and succeeded in saving four of the five break points on his own serve in the third set.
After taking two sets to one lead, Verdasco thrashed Malisse as he dropped only one game in the third set, breaking the right-handed twice and winning the set 6-1. The Spaniard hit two aces and 75 percent of the first deliveries,
converting 71 percent of them into points in the fourth set. The Madrid resident played attacking game as he fired ten winners and committed eight unforced errors in the fourth set.
Verdasco will meet world number 37 Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia in the third round. The Croatian defeated Sam Querrey of USA in straight sets 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 64.
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