By Chris Oddo | Friday February 23, 2018
Fernando Verdasco turned back the clock and put forth a vintage performance at the Rio Open, defeating second-seeded and defending champion Dominic Thiem, 6-4, 6-0.
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The Spaniard improved to 3-0 lifetime against Thiem, saving all four break points he faced and converting four of 13 of his own. The floodgates opened after Verdasco converted his tenth break point of the evening (he had failed on his first nine) when a Thiem forehand sailed to give the Spaniard a 5-4 lead in set one.
Verdasco would not lose another game.
His victory sets up a semifinal with Italy’s Fabio Fognini.
Fognini had to battle hard to get past Aljaz Bedene, 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-1, in a heated affair that featured words between the two players as well as a highly controversial call that turned the tides for Fognini in the third set.
With Bedene threatening to break back for 2-3 in the decider, he caught a serve from Fognini because a ball kid was walking behind him at the time. But umpire Nico Helwerth awarded Fognini the point and Bedene never threatened again.
Diego Schwartzman defeated Gael Monfils, 6-3, 6-4, to set up a semifinal with Nicolas Jarry of Chile. The 22-year-old reached he first ATP semifinal with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over 2016 Rio champ Pablo Cuevas.