SHARKSPAGE

Defending champ Fernando Verdasco bulldozes way to SAP Open tennis final, Gael Monfils withdrew from semis with injury

DEFENDING CHAMPION FERNANDO VERDASCO DOWNED R. RAM 6-3, 6-2 WED.

VERDASCO HAS WON 40-OF-41 SERVICE GAMES EN ROUTE TO FINALS

AFTER GAINING BERTH IN SEMIS, GAEL MONFILS WITHDREW WITH INJURY

Defending champion Fernando Verdasco has steamrolled his way to the 2011 SAP Open tennis finals. Without losing a set, and winning 40-of-41 service games, the ATP 9th ranked player in the world defeated former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) in the semifinals on Saturday night. The former clay court specialist has developed into a well rounded all-court player in his 10 years as a tour pro, and on the indoor surface at HP Pavilion in San Jose Verdasco has looked untouchable.

The 27-year old Spaniard sent an early message to Delpo in the first set, earning a break point in the first game. Excellent movement, crisp groundstrokes, and a slight edge on the first serve (13/16, 81% to 11/18, 61%) gave Verdasco all the margin he would need to close out the opening set on serve. The Argentinian del Potro, a very popular draw in the Bay Area, is trying to work his way back into the Top-100 after having wrist surgery in 2010. Delpo offered several statement forehands and backhands in the first two games, but Verdasco kept his legs moving on the hardcourt service. Prior to the Australian Open, ‘Nando’ told the local media that he respected top-ranked countryman Rafael Nadal for his ability to never give up on a play. “That makes him the toughest,” Verdasco said.

He backs that sentiment up with his play on the court, continually making it to balls to keep himself in on points. Up 2-1 in the second set, Verdasco tried to end a rally with a drop shot. It was succinctly hammered cross court by del Potro. The left hander tracked it down, slid out to the line and punched the ball back over the net. Delpo proceeded to close out the point of the match with an enormous forehand down the line. Instead of the momentum swinging towards the challenger, a quarterfinalist at the SAP Open last year, Verdasco battled back with a pair of breaks to edge a 5-4 lead. Del Potro seemed to back off on his second serve and return of serve, and Verdasco pushed forward. He closed out the second set with an unreturnable first serve and taking a little off to slice a first serve ace out wide.

“For me here, it is a little bit of an advantage. I have never lost. That is in your mind, I don’t know how, things come in a good way,” Fernando Verdasco told SAPOpentennis.com. It was a solid run to the finals for ‘Nando’. He dictated play to Istomin (6-4, 6-4), took control of 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic early en route to a straight set 7-5, 7-5 win, and outclassed American wildcard Ram (6-3, 6-2). His only misstep this week at the Tank was losing his opening doubles match with partner Lleyton Hewitt against Butorac-Rojer on Tuesday.

Fernando Verdasco will meet heavy hitting 20-year old Canadian Milos Raonic (ranked #84) in the Finals on Sunday. Raonic was given an automatic entry into the finals after Gael Monfils pulled out after his quarterfinal win with a wrist injury. Raonic routinely cranked up his serve to 140mph to oust popular American James Blake in the second round on Wednesday night, topping out at 141mph. After dropping the first set 6-2, Blake battled back to force a second set tiebreaker. Despite a USA, USA chant from the crowd, Raonic kept his focus and used heavy groundstrokes to set up repeated Blake errors. Raonic defeated Richard Berankis 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Friday, and agreed to an exhibition match with the other huge server Karlovic in lieu of a Raonic-Monfils semifinal. In a post match fastest serve competition, Raonic bested his rival with a 145mph bomb. “I don’t care how fast it is, as long as I hold my serve,” Raonic said. He also noted that as a Canadian playing a tennis tournament in a hockey arena, winning was more important for him.

The SAP Open singles final will be broadcast on CSN California and The Tennis Channel live at 5PM Sunday, February 13th. CSN Bay Area will rebroadcast the first semifinal on Tuesday, February 15 at 3:00pm, and the final on Wednesday, February 16 at 3:00pm. A free live stream of the SAP Open final is available online at veetle.com, and daily tournament video highlights and interviews are available at sapopentennis.com. A Sharkspage photo gallery from Wednesday featuring Verdasco, Monfils, Klahn, Blake and Raonic is available here.

[Update] San Jose: Verdasco defeats Del Potro – Tennis Magazine.

[Update2] Frenchman Gael Monfils wins SAP Open quarterfinal, then withdraws with ailing wrist – San Jose Mercury News.

[Update3] Back-to-Back?: Nando Shoots For SAP Open Title Repeat, Spaniard Tops DelPo 6-4, 6-4; to Meet Raonic in Second Straight San Jose Final – Inside Tennis Magazine.

Fernando Verdasco said that he prepped for his SAP Open title defense by spending two weeks with his feet up on the couch at his home in Madrid. But this wasn’t your ordinary couch-potato blowoff. The Spaniard had limped away from the Australian Open (where he lost to Tomas Berdych in the fourth round) with a bum ankle, an injury that led to a cortisone injection. Then he came down with a 102.2 temperature that left him with lingering headaches.

The couch was his only option.