Fernando Verdasco vs Jarkko Nieminen: Opening Round Preview – US Open 2011
Former world number 7 Fernando Verdasco of Spain is drawn to take on Finn Jarkko Nieminen, ranked 49th in the world, in the opening round at the US Open in New York on Tuesday.
Verdasco and Nieminen will be facing each other for the fifth time. They are tied at the 2-2 in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head record. Nieminen won the first two meetings, while, the Spaniard came out victorious in the last two meetings.
In the first meeting, an experienced Nieminen beat the Spaniard in five sets 6-7(8), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round at the Wimbledon Championships in 2003. Two year later, the Finn dismissed Verdasco in straight sets 6-2,
7-6(6), 6-3 in the round of 16 in their second meeting at the US Open. The Spaniard took the revenge after a gap of two years as he overcame Nieminen in three sets 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round in New Haven. Verdasco squared off the head-to-head record
as he dismissed the Finn in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 in the round of 32 at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in 2008.
The Spaniard has won 29 of the 48 matches he has played in 2011. The left-handed had a poor start to the season as he lost to German Benjamin Becker in three sets 1-6, 7-6(2), 3-6 in the first round at the Brisbane International.
Verdasco has not won any title, losing in all the three finals he has reached this year. The Spaniard was beaten by Milos Raonic of Canada in straight sets 6-7(6), 6-7(5) in the final in San Jose. The 27-year-old lost to Argentinean Juan Martin Del Potro in
straight sets 2-6, 2-6 in the title match in Estoril. In the third final, Verdasco was ousted by Marcel Granollers in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 at the Credit Agricole Suisse Open.
On the other hand, Nieminen is not having a good season, having a win/loss record of 14-19 in this year. The Finn started the season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, losing to Russian Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets 4-6, 5-7 in
the second round. The left-handed did not win even a single match at the three grand slams this year. The 30-year-old, who has one career title to his name, did not reach the final at any of the tour level tournament he has played this year. The Finn was dismissed
by American John Isner in straight sets 6-7(4), 2-6 in the round of 16 in his last tournament at the Winston-Salem Open.
The winner of the match between these two will face either Marsel Ilhan or Frank Dancevic in the second round.
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