Mal Tam
Verdasco is itching to become an elite player.
A
FROM THE SAP OPEN IN SAN JOSE Fernando
Verdasco is ranked just outside of the top 10, perhaps not where he should
be given his talent level, but certainly close enough. On Friday, the
26-year-old Spaniard outfought the promising young Lithuanian teenager
Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 7-6 in the SAP quarters.
The lefty is considered to be flashy, but that’s only when he presses
the pedal to mach 10 speed. He’s become a much more patient player
than he was three years ago, not going for big lefty forehands too early,
improving the depth and direction of his two-handed backhand, varying
his returns and not tiring quickly.
He may not be a savvy veteran yet, but he’s fairly smart and give
him this: although he has yet to match the level of the play that brought
him to huge wins over Jo Tsonga and Andy Murray at the 2009 Aussie Open
where he reached the semis, he hasn’t dropped off the face of the
earth and has actually been fairly consistent. Not only did he help Spain
to two Davis Cup titles in 2008 and 2009, but he won 2009 New Haven, went
15-4 at the Slams, reached the final of Brisbane and reached the quarters
of Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, Madrid, lost to
Nikolay Davydenko in the fourth round of Roland Garros and to Novak Djokovic
in the quarters of the US Open. At the ATP World Tour Finals, he went
0-3 but took Federer, del Potro and Murray to three sets.
“I’m pretty much only losing to the top four,” he said.
“What I need to is to play unbelievable against them and make that
next step. The thing about tennis is that even if you play 100% and fight,
it’s also about how the other guy plays.”
Verdasco, who is contending with a sciatic nerve injury, didn’t
play great against Bernakis, but served huge and whacked his lefty forehand.
He was impressed by the former junior world No. 1.
“I had never seen him play before and he served well, played close
to the lines and had a good forehand and backhand,” Verdasco said.
“I didn’t see any weaknesses. He has a very good future.”
No. 11 Verdasco is concerned with his nerve injury, which is affecting
his right hamstring. He may not be able to play in Spain’s Davis
Cup tie against Switzerland but is keeping his options open.
“Five days ago it was really bad but now it’s feeling a little
better and I hope it’s going to be gone soon,” he said.
Verdasco will play Denis Istomin, the first Uzbhek to reach and ATP Tour
semi-final. Istomin (Uzbekistan) upset sixth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber
of Germany 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 with an aggressive all court display.
" Today I played so well - I think it's the best match I played of
my life,” said the 96th ranked Istomin, who had upset another German,
Tommy Haas, in the round prior. “Now I feel like I can play with
these guys and beat them.”Istomin has a sizeable first serve, a
hard forehand and pretty respectible backhand, AT 6-foot2 he’s long
to come into net more but isn’t that comfortable there yet.
But he’s the Uzbek male to crack the top 100, which is pretty a
pretty admirable feat. He was taught and is still coached by his mother,
Klaudiya, who once waas a teaching pro at one of Moscow’s top clubs.
She’s not with him this week, but was the person who convinced him
to get back on court after he broke his right leg in a car accident in
2001 and couldn't stand up for three months. He was off court for two
years and spent another one just practicing. It wasn’t until 2006
that he felt like he could run properly again and he’s still working
on his movement.
“When I started my pro career it was so tough because of the accident
first,” the 23-year-old said. “I tried to work hard and I
thank my mother because she motivated me. At first when I came to the
big tournament I’d lose easy and then we worked harder and harder.”
Last year, he reached the third round of the US Open and fell to Marin
Cilic and at the 2010 Aussie Open, he again reached the third round where
he went down to Novak Djokovic.
His mother, who is back at home, texted him after his Kohlschrieber win
to set him straight. “She said I know now is good but I need to
be with you always,” he said with a laugh. “I can improve
and then go up, up, up.”
Andy Roddick took down the constantly underachieving Tomas Berdych 7-6
(5), 7-6 (5) to earn a place in the semis and will face Sam Querrey, who
beat Michael Russell 6-4, 6-3.
Roddick and the fifth seeded Berdych traded big blows into the tiebreakers,
where the Czech missed two critical forehands – one at set point
to lose the first tiebreaker 7-5, and the second at 5-5 in the second
set tiebreaker. Roddick then closed the second set tiebreaker out 7-5
with a 141-mph service winner.
“He hits the ball so hard and flat it kind of keeps you a little
off balance and a lot of times you feel like you are just hanging on,”
Roddick said. “He forced me to play well. I was fortunate to get
through it in two.”
Querrey bested Roddick the last time the two met in Cincinnati last summer,
but Roddick leads their head to head 3-1. “It’s always tough
and I’m going to have to play great,” Querrey said.
