by Richard Lucas
Photo Credits to Tony Chang

(April 30, 2011)
Despite some questioning his recent fitness, Fernando Verdasco showed some exceptional form, winning two matches to reach the final in Estoril, Portugal. After dropping the first set in a tiebreak to South African, Kevin Anderson, play was halted on Friday due to bad light. When play resumed on Saturday, the former world no. 7 stormed back and quickly capitalized to take a 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3 win. Play was momentarily stopped with Verdasco leading 4-1 in the third set due to a rain shower, but as conditions began to worsen, the left hander from Madrid finished it out.

Rising Milos Raonic also resumed his quartfinal match with Gilles Simon today, which was halted with Simon serving at 5-6 in the first set. With Raonic taking the first set in a tiebreak, the veteran Simon fought back to even the match behind three breaks of serve in the second. Play was suspended early in the third set for just over an hour due to rain. Once the match got back on court, the closely fought third set eventually went to Raonic who was able to break Simon twice while dropping his own only once, saving three break points for a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3 victory.

While Verdasco and Raonic rested up for their later match, it was a battle of the South Americans as Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro took on Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas, who was born in Argentina. Despite a routine first set, Cuevas has plenty of fight in him, even holding a set point, before Del Potro was able to finish out the match 6-2, 7-6 (6), moving him into the second final since his return from wrist surgery. His first was in Delray Beach, as he took out Janko Tipsarevic, winning his first title in well over a year.

After their break, Verdasco and Raonic went back to work, where Verdasco tried to back up his previous comments concerning the young Candian. Recall that after losing on hard courts to Raonic in the San Jose finals and in the first round of Memphis the following week, Verdasco stated that he would lose to face Raonic on a clay court where his biggest weapon, the serve, is lessened. While Verdasco may be infinitely more comfortable on the clay, Raonic still put up an effort, losing the first set 6-4 after losing his serve. Verdasco served efficiently, though not spectacularly, serving 85% first serves, winning 82% of points on the first serve, and facing no break points. Early in the second set, however, Milos called it quits and retired from the match. At this time it is unclear as to the cause.