Radek Stepanek moves past Fernando Verdasco into the semis – Legg Mason Tennis Classic 2011
Legg Mason Tennis Classic 2011 seemed quite a bit of a table turner as quarter-final round started on Friday, 5th August. Displaying a perfectionist’s play, Radek Stepanek brought down the higher ranked Spaniard Fernando
Verdasco in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. The match was played at the William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Centre in Rock Creek Park on hard court.
Verdasco has been in a vicious rivalry with the Czech lately. This was the 7thtime the left hander was playing the world No.54, Stepanek. Though ranked higher, 19th in the world, the Spaniard succeeded only
emerged victorious only three times. The Spaniard, a clay expert, struggled at the hard circuit lost his momentum and went wild with his shots.
On the contrary, Stepanek has been eating up his rivals on the D.C hard circuit. Having played most of the matches against Verdasco on the same surface, the Czech former world no.8 had a better idea how to tame the wild Spaniard.
Despite his age, the 32-year-old has been in a tough form lately. However, it was still hard to believe that despite the age and the ranking, Stepanek pulled away with the match.
The match started off with Verdasco opening the first set and the scorecard 1-0. Stepanek soon followed with his first game levelling the scores to 1-1. The game twisted for the Spaniard world No.19 in game 5 as he gave a decisive
breakpoint and there on he only followed the Czech. Taking the lead the former world no.8 took out the left hander in the following set to lead 4-2. Finally, winning 2 out of the last 3 games, Radek took out the Spaniard in the first set 6-4 to lead 1-0 in
the match.
The belligerent Spaniard went for his revenge in the second set and was looking lethal in the first two games as he blistered the Czech with a breakpoint in second game to lead 2-0. Verdasco extended his lead to 3-0 frustrating
the world No.54.
However, the 32-year-old surprised the Spaniard once again. Winning the next 4 games including 2 breakpoints, Stepanek first levelled the scores at 3-3 after the first breakpoint win and then led 4-3 with the second. The right
hander further extended his lead to 5-3 dropping bombs on the Spaniard.
Although Verdasco was excellent with his serve, eight aces, he also lost his temper at times when lost him crucial points on double faults and breakpoints. It took Stepanek almost two hours to break through the Spaniard however,
the Czech felt satisfied with his 79 point win over the Spaniard and to the next round.
With the final game win, 6-4, Stepanek concluded the match 6-4, 6-4 making it to the semi-finals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic 2011. Eliminating one of the top seeds in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Radek Stepanek will now
face the local lad Donald Young to the final round.
Tags: