TENNIS ATP VALENCIA – Andy Murray beat Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-3 to reach the second round of the Valencia Open. Tomas Berdych lost to Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-2 and his qualification to the ATP Finals is at risk. Diego Sampaolo
Andy Murray beat Jurgen Melzer 6-3 6-3 in the Valencia ATP 500 Tournament. Both players traded breaks before Murray clinched the first set with 6-3. Melzer broke serve in the opening game of the second set but Murray broke straight back before clinching the second set with another 6-3. The match featured six breaks for Murray and three for Melzer. Murray, winner of the ATP 500 Tournament in Valencia in 2009, will next face Italian Fabio Fognini. He may meet David Ferrer in the semifinal in a re-match of last week’s Vienna final.
Tomas Berdych, winner last week in Stockholm, crashed out Pablo Andujar in straight sets with 6-3 6-2, a defeat which could prove to be costly for the Czech player. Berdych is currently ranked seventh in the ATP Race to London with a lead of just 220 points over eighth placer Murray.
David Ferrer beat Andreas Seppi 6-3 7-5 to clinch his 50th of the year. The Valencia Native fought back from 1-4 down. Seppi had the chance to serve at 5-2 to force the match to the third set but Ferrer reeled off five games in a row to win the second set with 7-5 in one hour and 34 minutes.
Ferrer is just two matches within from reaching the 600 match wins milestone. Ferrer could move up to sixth in the ATP Race to London if he wins his fourth Valencia title.
Pablo Carreno Busta upset Feliciano Lopez with a double 6-4 win in just 65 minutes in a all-Spanish match. Roberto Bautista Agut defeated this year’s Barcelona runner-up Santiago Giraldo with 6-4 6-4 to set up the next round match against Brazilian Tomas Bellucci who overcame Mikhail Youzhny 7-5 6-3.
