As poorly as Fernando Verdasco played throughout the first four sets of today's match with Janko Tipsarevic, I always felt that if he could extend the match far enough, his strokes would find their marks and get him through.
Why? Verdasco was missing from advantageous positions, getting good looks at returns and serving shakily—something that he himself can control. And so when Tipsarevic was broken for a second time when serving for the match, the cream was finally ready to rise. A close contest quickly became a blowout, with Verdasco winning the fourth-set tiebreaker and subsequent fifth set in shutout fashion. The final score reads 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (0), 6-0, but the match was really decided in one game, not the 39 before it or anything afterward.
Having just broken Verdasco, Tipsarevic attempted to serve his way into the third round for the second time in three games. It looked like he would make good on this attempt when he earned two match points after a deft second-serve ace. With his back against the wall, Verdasco hit out on his shots, something he probably should have done since the start of the match. Tipsarevic could only watch in horror, at net, as a running forehand pass sent the ball past his racquet and the game back to deuce.
Tipsarevic would earn another match point, this one ending on his terms. His backhand landed inches long, but he still may not know that, as the Serb had used all of his allocated challenges. All the near misses seemed to weigh him down on Verdasco's next break point—Tipsarevic double-faulted and promptly checked out in the mental department.
Verdasco had a simple time the rest of the way; by the final game, Tipsarevic wasn't even interested in putting a racquet on the Spaniard's serves. His shots were finding their marks, even if his opponent refused to hit them back.
—Ed McGrogan