Top-seed Fernando Verdasco had to rally to beat Italian Fabio Fognini. The Spaniard eventually overcame the world no. 57 2-6 6-4 6-0 in just under two hours of play. The world no. 10 will play Pole Lukasz Kubot in the second round.

Once a doubles specialist, Kubot had a good year last year and is off to a promising start this year. The Pole is enjoying his best career ranking at world no. 48 to date. Kubot could be trouble for Verdasco if he does not clean it his act by tomorrow.


Singles First Round
1 WC Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2-6 6-4 6-0
2 Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) def. Sam Querrey (USA) 6-4 3-6 7-6(2)
3 David Ferrer (ESP) def. Potito Starace (ITA) 6-2 6-4
4 Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) def. Q Diego Junqueira (ARG) 6-2 6-3
Simon Greul (GER) def. 5 John Isner (USA) 7-6(4) 7-5
6 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) def. Dudi Sela (ISR) 6-1 7-6(0)
7 Juan Monaco (ARG) def. Q Alberto Martin (ESP) 6-7(6) 7-5 6-2
8 Albert Montanes (ESP) def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 7-5 4-6 6-2
Pablo Cuevas (URU) def. Marcos Daniel (BRA) 1-6 7-5 7-6(8) - saved 3 M.P.
Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) def. Peter Luczak (AUS) 6-0 1-6 6-0
Victor Hanescu (ROU) def. Frederico Gil (POR) 7-6(5) 6-3
Igor Andreev (RUS) def. Q Victor Crivoi (ROU) 6-3 6-4
Lukasz Kubot (POL) def. Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 6-1 6-2

Doubles First Round
WC S. Gonzalez (MEX)/N. Massu (CHI) def 4 J. Brunstrom (SWE)/J. Rojer (AHO) 6-2 6-7(2) 11-9
WC J. Elizondo (MEX)/C. Ramirez (MEX) def. L. Arnold Ker (ARG)/T. Bellucci (BRA) 7-6(5) 4-6 10-8

Wednesday’s Order of Play

(Image: Mexsport/Hector Rivera)

David Ferrer barrelled past Fabio Fognini. He defeated the Italian 6-2 6-2 6-3 after just 100 minutes of play. I guess the Spaniard had better things to do because he was all business today.

Ferrer will play Radek Stepanek in the third round. The Spaniard leads their head-to-head 3-2 and won their last meeting at Roland Garros in 2008.

(Image: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images)

Dmitry Tursunov was able to fend off Fabio Fognini in his Eastbourne debut. He defeated the Italian 6-3 4-6 6-4 in a not quite two-hour match. Tursunov is not having the greatest season this year. His best showings this year are in the round of 16 in Marseille and Halle.

In the next round, he will meet British qualifier Alex Bogdanovic. Tursunov leads their head-to-head 1-0. Their only meeting was at the Queen’s Club in 2006. It would be nice to see the Russian put a string of matches together for a run in Eastbourne.

(Image: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images)

All the seeded players advanced on the singles side in Estoril. Eighth-seed Florent Serra took care of the resurgent Juan “Spicoli” Monaco 6-3 1-6 6-3. Seventh-seed Albert Montanes defeated German Simon Gruel 6-2 6-2.

Fourth-seed James Blake has now joined Mardy Fish in winning two-consecutive matches on clay. He defeated Frenchman Marc Gicquel 7-6(6) 6-2. Blake will meet Florent Serra in the quarterfinals. They are actually 2-2 in their head-to-head matchup with Serra winning their only meeting on clay in Rome in 2006.

Top-seed Gilles Simon took care of Fabio Fognini pretty easily 6-0 7-5 after just 73 minutes of work. Simon will meet Albert Montanes in the quarterfinals. The Frenchman leads Montanes 2-0 in their head-to-head matchup, where all their meetings were on clay. Let’s hope there are no surprises tomorrow from the Frenchman.

(Image: Reuters)

Former Estoril champion Nikolay Davydenko took out the 2001 Estoril champion Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5 6-2. The Spaniard put up a fight in the first set, but the Russian was able to subdue his opponent in the second set. Davydenko will play sixth-seed Mardy Fish, who has managed to string together two-match wins on clay, in the quarterfinals. The two players are 1-1 in their head-to-head matchup.

On the other side of the draw, third-seed David Ferrer was upset in pretty convincing fashion by compatriot Oscar Hernandez 2-6 4-6. After being a finalist in Barcelona two weeks ago, Ferrer has had some puzzling exits in Rome (first round loss) and now Estoril (second round loss) to follow-up that good showing. Hernandez advances to the quarterfinals to play Paul Capdeville, who beat Maximo Gonzalez in three sets after upsetting David Nalbandian in the first round.

With the upsets of Ferrer and Nalbandian, the top-half draw is now open up for top-seed Gilles Simon. Whether Simon will take advantage of the situation is another story. He first needs to pass Fabio Fognini, who beat former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio in straight sets to secure his spot against the Frenchman. Simon did get the best of Fognini in their only meeting last week in Rome in the second round.

Wednesday’s Results
Singles First Round
4 James Blake (USA) def. Frederico Gil (POR) 6-3 6-4
Fabio Fognini (ITA) def. WC Gaston Gaudio (ARG) 6-3 6-4

Singles Second Round
2 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 7-5 6-2
Oscar Hernandez (ESP) def. 3 David Ferrer (ESP) 6-2 6-4
6 Mardy Fish (USA) def. Ivan Navarro (ESP) 2-6 6-1 6-4
Paul Capdeville (CHI) def. Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) 2-6 6-2 6-3

Doubles First Round
E. Butorac (USA)/S. Lipsky (USA) def. 1 B. Soares (BRA)/K. Ullyett (ZIM) 7-5 6-3
2 P. Cuevas (URU)/D. Vemic (SRB) def. M. Gonzalez (ARG)/J. Monaco (ARG) 6-3 6-4
L. Friedl (CZE)/D. Skoch (CZE) def. WC P. Sousa (POR)/J. Sousa (POR) 6-0 6-0
W. Moodie (RSA)/D. Norman (BEL) def. M. Gicquel (FRA)/F. Serra (FRA) 6-2 6-2

Thursday’s Matches
Singles Second Round
1 WC Gilles Simon (FRA) vs. Fabio Fognini (ITA)
4 James Blake (USA) vs. Marc Gicquel (FRA)
7 Albert Montanes (ESP) vs. Simon Greul (GER)
8 Florent Serra (FRA) vs. Juan Monaco (ARG)

Doubles Quarterfinals
2 P Cuevas (URU) / D Vemic (SRB) vs. W Moodie (RSA) / D Norman (BEL)
3 F. Cermak (CZE)/M. Mertinak (SVK) vs. J. Blake (USA)/R. Kendrick (USA)
4 M. Damm (CZE)/R. Lindstedt (SWE) vs. L. Friedl (CZE)/D. Skoch (CZE)
E. Butorac (USA)/S. Lipsky (USA) vs. M. Fish (USA)/D. Martin (USA)

Thursday’s Order of Play

(Image: Francisco Leong/AFP/Getty Images)

Juan Monaco has no trouble with Marat Safin, who is playing in his last Barcelona Open tournament. Monaco dismissed the Russian 6-4 6-1 after 65 minutes of play. The Argentine will play the Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the next round. The two players have never met in ATP action.

Nicolas Lapentti had a more difficult time overcoming from fellow-veteran Paul-Henri Mathieu. The Ecuadorian qualifier persevered and bested the Frenchman 6-3 2-6 6-2. Lapentti had a good week in Monaco but will play Fernando Verdasco play in the next round. The Spaniard leads Lapentti 4-2 though Lapentti won their last meeting in Cincinnati in 2008.

On the other hand, Fabio Fognini did not survive after having a good week in Monte-Carlo last week. Fellow-qualifier Daniel Gimeno-Traver beat the Italian pretty handily 6-1 6-3. The Spaniard plays Juan Monaco in the second round.

Gaston Gaudio beat fellow Argentine Diego Junquiera 6-4 3-6 6-4. The 2004 Roland Garros champion will meet sixth-seed Tommy Robredo in the next round. The Argentine leads their match-up 4-3 with Gaudio winning their last meeting in Monte-Carlo in 2006.

The match of the day was Mikhail Youzhny versus Viktor Troicki. It looked like the Serb would take the match, but the Russian rallied from behind to send the Serb home 6-7(5) 7-6(6) 6-3 after 163 minutes of play. Youzhny will now play Stanislas Wawrinka, who made it to the semifinals in Monte-Carlo last week. The Russian is 1-0 over Wawrinka.

In doubles, all three Spanish teams lost today, plus Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez lost yesterday. Doubles team, Travis Parrot and Filip Polasek rallied to beat Frantisek Cermak and Mertinak Mertinak 6-7(4) 6-2 10-7. They will play top-seeds Bryan brothers in the next round. The Bryan brothers and Travis Parrott are the only American players currently playing on the European clay circuit.

(Image: Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images)

After the rain caused havoc yesterday, the tournament got back on track. Rafael Nadal’s half of the draw had to play twice because they did not finish their matches yesterday. At the end the day, all of the qualifiers and wildcards were knocked out of the draw while the usual suspects, minus Roger Federer and plus Stanislas Wawrinka, advanced to the semifinals.

Rafael Nadal finished off Nicolas Lapentti 6-3 6-0 in the morning and beat Ivan Ljubicic 6-3 6-3 in the afternoon to advance. He will meet Andy Murray, who beat Fabio Fognini and Nikolay Davydenko today, in the semifinals. It will be a rematch of the Indian Wells final, except on clay. Alex Corretja has done a good job with Murray for the clay season, and this is Murray’s best result on clay to date.

Novak Djokovic resisted a challenge from Fernando Verdasco and beat the Spaniard in straight sets. The Serb is starting to get back to form and is playing with a lot more confidence than at the beginning of the year. Djokovic will meet Stanislas Wawrinka in the next round where he leads the Swiss 5-2. He has won their last four meetings.

At the end of the day, it was good to see veteran players like Ivan Ljubicic and Nicolas Lapentti make a run in the tournament. Nikolay Davydenko and Juan Monaco returned from injury and played well this week. Hopefully, the young qualifiers, Andreas Beck and Fabio Fognini will be in the mix in the future.

Friday’s Results
Singles Quarterfinals
1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. WC Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) 6-3 6-3
3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. 7 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-2 4-6 6-3
4 A. Murray (GBR) def. 8 N. Davydenko (RUS) 7-6(1) 6-4
13 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) def. Q Andreas Beck (GER) 6-2 6-4

Singles Round of 16
1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Q Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 6-3 6-0
4 Andy Murray (GBR) def. Q Fabio Fognini (ITA) 7-6(11) 6-4
8 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. 12 David Nalbandian (ARG) 6-4 5-7 6-3
WC Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) def. Simone Bolelli (ITA) 7-5 7-6(2)

Doubles Quarterfinals
1 B. Bryan (USA)/M. Bryan (USA) def. 6 M. Fyrstenberg (POL)/M. Matkowski (POL) 4-6 6-2 10-4
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) def. M. Cilic (CRO)/N. Kiefer (GER) 6-7(3) 6-4 10-8
3 L. Dlouhy (CZE)/L. Paes (IND) def. 7 J. Knowle (AUT)/A. Ram (ISR) 7-6(3) 6-3
N Djokovic (SRB) / V Troicki (SRB) def. 4 M. Bhupathi (IND)/M. Knowles (BAH) 6-4 4-6 12-10

Doubles Round of 16
4 M. Bhupathi (IND)/M. Knowles (BAH) def. F. Lopez (ESP)/F. Verdasco (ESP) 6-4 6-4

Saturday’s Matches
Singles Semifinals
1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. 4 Andy Murray (GBR)
3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. 13 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)

Doubles Semifinals
1 B. Bryan (USA)/M. Bryan (USA) vs. 3 L. Dlouhy (CZE)/L. Paes (IND)
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) vs. N. Djokovic (SRB)/V. Troicki (SRB)

Saturday’s Order of Play

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(images: Getty Images, AFP)

The rain caused havoc in Monte-Carlo today. It caused delays throughout the day. The tournament had to move some matches from the show courts to the outer courts, causing me to not see the Beck-Monaco match. Boo!

Fernando Verdasco halted David Ferrer, who had been cruising in the draw under the radar. Verdasco took care of his compatriot 6-2 6-1 after 62 minutes of play. He will next meet Novak Djokovic, who dismissed Spaniard Albert Montanes. Their head-to-head matchup is 2-2, with Djokovic winning the last two matches last year.

The match of the day was on the outer courts with a surging Andres Beck and a resurgent Juan Monaco. Each player split the first two sets then dug in the final set. Juan Monaco was ahead 4-2 until Beck rallied to even the set. Beck then broke Monaco, for the final time, at the end of the set to take the match, thus continuing his upset tour of Monte-Carlo. The German will meet Stanislas Wawrinka, who upset Roger Federer. The two players have never met in ATP competition.

Fabio Fognini was ahead 5-3 in the first set, but Andy Murray broke him and held serve to level the match. Murray took the set when he saved three set points and outlasted the Italian in the first-set tiebreak. Rain delayed their match until tomorrow, as well as the Nadal-Lapentti, Nalbandian-Daydenko and the Bolelli-Ljubicic matches.

Tomorrow will be wacky. Verdasco may have to play three times because of doubles.

Thursday’s Results
Singles Round of 16
13 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) def. 2 WC Roger Federer (SUI) 6-4 7-5
3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Albert Montanes (ESP) 6-1 6-7(4) 6-0
7 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. 10 David Ferrer (ESP) 6-2 6-1
Q Andreas Beck (GER) def. Juan Monaco (ARG) 3-6 6-2 7-5
4 Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Q Fabio Fognini (ITA) 7-6(11) 1-0 To Finish
1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Q Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 0-1 To Finish
8 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) vs. 12 David Nalbandian (ARG) To Finish
Simone Bolelli (ITA) vs. WC Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) To Finish

Doubles Round of 16
F. Lopez (ESP)/F. Verdasco (ESP) vs. 4 M. Bhupathi (IND)/M. Knowles (BAH) To Finish

Doubles Quarterfinals
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) vs. M. Cilic (CRO)/N. Kiefer (GER) To Finish

Friday’s Matches
Singles Round of 16
4 Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Q Fabio Fognini (ITA) 7-6(11) 1-0 To Finish
1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Q Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) 0-1 To Finish
8 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) vs. 12 David Nalbandian (ARG) To Finish
Simone Bolelli (ITA) vs. WC Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) To Finish

Singles Quarterfinals
7 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. 3 Novak Djokovic (SRB)
13 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Q Andreas Beck (GER)
1 R. Nadal (ESP) or Q N. Lapentti (ECU) vs. S. Bolelli (ITA) or WC I. Ljubicic (CRO)
4 A. Murray (GBR) or Q F. Fognini (ITA) vs. 12 D. Nalbandian (ARG) or 8 N. Davydenko (RUS)

Doubles Round of 16
F. Lopez (ESP)/F. Verdasco (ESP) vs. 4 M. Bhupathi (IND)/M. Knowles (BAH) To Finish

Doubles Quarterfinals
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) vs. M. Cilic (CRO)/N. Kiefer (GER) To Finish
1 B. Bryan (USA)/M. Bryan (USA) vs. 6 M. Fyrstenberg (POL)/M. Matkowski (POL)
3 L. Dlouhy (CZE)/L. Paes (IND) vs. 7 J. Knowle (AUT)/A. Ram (ISR)
N Djokovic (SRB) / V Troicki (SRB) vs. 4 M. Bhupathi (IND)/M. Knowles (BAH) or F. Lopez (ESP)/F. Verdasco (ESP)

Friday's Order of Play

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(Image: AP)

Today was more orderly than yesterday. It looked like the Grimaldi curse had struck the seeded players, but most of them advanced today without too much trouble.

Tenth-seed David Ferrer was extra efficient in his victory. He played like he had better things to do. The Spaniard beat the last Frenchman in the draw, Marc Gicquel 6-1 6-0 after just 49 minutes of play.

Juan Martin del Potro met a surprise from wildcard Ivan Ljubicic, former ATP World No. 3. After losing the first set, Ljubicic rallied to upset the fifth-seed 4-6 6-1 6-4.

Marin Cilic met an Italian surprise in the form of Fabio Fognini. The fourteenth-seed lost to the qualifier in straight sets and won only two games in the entire match. As consolation, Cilic still is in doubles contention with Nicolas Kiefer.

In doubles, the seeded teams took care of business except for the eight-seeds Jeff Coetzee and Jordan Kerr who lost to Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troiki 4-6 4-6. The Serbs advance to the quarterfinals where they await the winner of the Verdasco/Lopez-Bhupathi/Knowles match.

Wednesday’s Results
Singles Second Round
1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) def. Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) 6-2 6-3
2 WC Roger Federer (SUI) def. Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-4 6-4
WC Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) def. 5 Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) 4-6 6-1 6-4
7 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-3 6-4
8 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 6-4 6-3
10 David Ferrer (ESP) def. Marc Gicquel (FRA) 6-1 6-0
12 David Nalbandian (ARG) def. Marcel Granollers (ESP) 4-6 6-3 6-1
13 Stani Wawrinka (SUI) def. Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) 2-6 7-5 6-2
Q Fabio Fognini (ITA) def. 14 Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-2 6-0
Simone Bolelli (ITA) def. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 7-5 6-3
Q Nicolas Lapentti (ECU) def. Marat Safin (RUS) 7-6(6) 2-6 7-6(6)
Albert Montanes (ESP) def. WC Jene-Rene Lisnard (MON) 6-2

Doubles Second Round
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) def. WC M. Gicquel (FRA)/P. Mathieu (FRA) 6-3 6-7(5) 10-4
3 L. Dlouhy (CZE)/L. Paes (IND) def. A. Montanes (ESP)/T. Robredo (ESP) 2-6 7-6(5) 10-8
6 M. Fyrstenberg (POL)/M. Matkowski (POL) def. N. Davydenko (RUS)/O. Marach (AUT) 6-3 6-4
7 J. Knowle (AUT)/A. Ram (ISR) def. S. Aspelin (SWE)/W. Moodie (RSA) 7-6(3) 6-2
N. Djokovic (SRB)/V. Troicki (SRB) def. 8 J. Coetzee (RSA)/J. Kerr (AUS) 6-4 6-4

Thursday’s Matches
Singles Round of 16
1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Q Nicolas Lapentti (ECU)
2 WC Roger Federer (SUI) vs. 13 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
A Montanes (ESP) vs [3] N Djokovic (SRB)
4 Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Q Fabio Fognini (ITA)
7 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. 10 David Ferrer (ESP)
8 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) vs. [12] D Nalbandian (ARG)
Q Andreas Beck (GER) vs. Juan Monaco (ARG)
Simone Bolelli (ITA) vs. WC Ivan Ljubicic (CRO)

Doubles Round of 16
F Lopez (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) vs [4] M Bhupathi (IND) / M Knowles (BAH)

Doubles Quarterfinals
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) vs. M. Cilic (CRO)/N. Kiefer (GER)

Thursday's Order of Play

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(Image: AP)

Qualifier Fabio Fognini, who is currently ranked number 108, rallied to upset Tomas Berdych 1-6 6-3 6-3. The 21-year-old has not advanced passed the round of 16 this year and is 6-7 as of today. He will play Marin Cilic in the next round. The two players have never met in an ATP event.

Albert Montanes upset Nicolas Almagro 7-6(6) 6-4 7-6(5). After Nadal, Almagro is probably Spain’s second best player on clay. This victory is Montanes’ second-consectutive victory over Almagro. He will play wildcard Jean-Rene Lisnard of Monaco.

In the rematch of the Buenos Aires final, Juan Monaco exacted revenge on the eleventh-seed Tommy Robredo 6-2 6-4. He will play the German troublemaker, Andreas Beck in the round of 16. The two players have never met in ATP competition. This could be an exciting match. Both players are vying for the chance to play Roger Federer, should he make it through the next two rounds.

With all of the upsets, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, David Ferrer and David Nalbandian restored some order with their victories.

In doubles, Nikolay Davydenko teamed up with Austrian doubles-specialist Oliver to beat the French duo of Gilles Simon and Jeremy Chardy 6-4 6-1. Next up for Davydenko and Marach are sixth-seeds Frystenberg and Matkowski.

Some good news for France today, Marc Gicquel and Paul-Henri Mathieu bested the doubles specialists Arnold Ker and Cuevas from South America. They will play second-seeds Nestor and Zimonjic.

After his upset in singles yesterday, Nicolas Kiefer and partner, Marin Cilic upset fifth-seeds Brunno Soares and Kevin Ullyett.

(images: AP)