Fernando Verdasco returned to the slopes after the roller coaster of emotions that he has lived in recent weeks, and he did it with victory. The Madrilenian kept the ghosts away at the ATP 250 in Cologne after beating Andy Murray for a double 6-4, a perfect way to disconnect from your recent troubles with Roland Garros (lawsuit included) due to COVID-19, since the tournament organization did not allow him to participate due to a false positive.
Verdasco demonstrated his superiority from the start of the match, especially on the physical plane. He got the first set on track with two breaks ahead, one gap that not even the reaction of the Scot in the final section of the sleeve could close. The Madrilenian hesitated and sweated a lot to seal the set after losing one of the two breaks he had an advantage, but he finally did it at the third opportunity he had with his serve in the tenth game: 6-4.
The second set passed along the same lines. The balance seemed to definitely tip to Verdasco's side in Game 3, where he got the break thanks to a double fault from Murray. But the party entered a spiral of irregularity on the part of both with a succession of breaks that clouded the outcome. In the seventh game came the final push from the Spanish, signing a break in income that he maintained until the end and sealing the triumph to the champion, with an ace (6-4). The next hurdle for Verdasco will be the toughest possible in this tournament, as it will be measured on Thursday with Alexander Zverev, first seed.
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The rest of the day also left good news from the Navy. Interestingly, Verdasco's partner in the doubles category for this tournament, Alejandro Davidovich, signed his pass to the second round after ending the resistance of the Finn Emil Ruusuvuori, which was the first victory of his career in indoor conditions. The man from Malaga will face the Croatian in the second round Marin Cilic, eighth seeded, who defeated a brave Marcos Giron in three sets.