Fernando Verdasco joins Brisbane International field
Fernando Verdasco’s 2010 season ended just yesterday, his loss to Gael Monfils at the BNP Paribas Masters quashing any hopes of qualifying for the World Tour Finals, but the Spaniard has already turned his attention to 2011.
Verdasco has been announced as the third top-10 ranked player who will be competing in the men’s draw at the Brisbane International in January, joining defending champion Andy Roddick and world No. 5 Robin Soderling as the early entries in the field.
It will be the second time the world No. 9 has played in the Queensland tournament, where he was the beaten finalist in 2009 as Radek Stepanek claimed the title.
“I remember in his post-match speech that he [Verdasco] promised he would come back and go one step further,” said Tournament Director Steve Ayles in a statement. “Now he is confirmed to contest the event, he can do just that.”
Verdasco finished the 2010 season having won two ATP Tour titles, to bring his career total to five, with those crowns claimed on hard courts in San Jose and on clay in Barcelona.
He also made an impressive run to the quarter-finals of the US Open, where eventual champion Rafael Nadal continued his dominance over his compatriot with a straight sets win, as well as reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
With the World Tour Finals eluding him and 2008 and 2009 Davis Cup champions Spain losing to France in the quarter-finals this year, the left-hander now embarks on an earlier off-season than he’s become accustomed to over the past two years and should be fresh as he attempts to go one better in Brisbane in the new year.
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