Fernando Verdasco fights back to beat Tatsuma Ito in the opening round – Thailand Open 2012
Seeded fifth in the draw, Fernando Verdasco of Spain bounced back after getting surprised in the first set and finished strongly to overcome Japan’s world number 67, Tatsuma Ito, in the first round of the Thailand Open in Bangkok.
Verdasco lost the opener but then grabbed the following two, downing the Japanese player in three sets 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 in two hours and three minutes.
The Spanish contender and Ito exchanged a couple of breaks of serve in the first six games, equalising the score at 3-3. The Japanese number two cinched three back to back afterwards and sealed it 6-3.
Verdasco, who is a winner of five ATP World Tour titles in his career so far, responded like a true champion after losing the first set, as he bulldozed his Japanese opponent in the second one. The Spaniard did not lose even a
single game till the end, clinching it 6-0.
The match score got tied at one set apiece but momentum was clearly on Verdasco’s side. Both players held their serve in the first three games to take the score to 2-1 in the Spanish star’s favour. Verdasco hit blows to his rival
in the fourth and eighth, capitalising on the double advantage to close it 6-2.
The Spanish player acknowledged that Ito surprised him with his superb playing skills. Verdasco said after the match, "He really surprised me, I had never seen him play. He played an unbelievable first set and I knew after that
if I wanted to come back I would have to give 100 percent. I didn't expect that he would have played so well.”
The left hander added, "But in the second set he let his level go a bit and by the third I was playing better than him. It was a very difficult match and one I'm glad I got through."
Verdasco went on to say, "It's always difficult to play someone you have never seen before. I was surprised. In the end I was physically better."
The Spaniard will USA’s out of form player, Donald Young, in the second round.
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