Fernando Verdasco repeated his US Open magic as he defeated Andy Murray 6-4 6-4 to reach the Shenzhen Open semi-finals.
The Spaniard broke three times as he continued his excellent run of form to reach the last four in Shenzhen. He will now meet Yoshihito Nishioka, who defeated another Brit in Cameron Norrie today.
The win means it’s Verdasco’s second consecutive win over Murray after his four set win in the second round of the US Open. The former world number one will now play his final tournament of the season in Beijing next week before resting for the 2019 season.
Despite losing the match the Brit can take the positives out of the match including his great start as he grabbed the first break of the contest for a 2-1 lead.
However a lack of concentration saw the world number 28 take advantage as he broke straight back, using his aggressive forehands as a focal point.
One of the elements of Murray’s game that needs improving is his ability to save break points when it matters, especially using his first serve on these points. This cost him today as Verdasco made it 3/3 on break point opportunities in the ninth game.
A third game in a row sealed the set for Verdasco as he took the early advantage. Unlike the Brit, the higher ranked Spaniard saved break point opportunities and continued to grow in confidence.
The fifth seed continued his momentum in the second set as he broke in a long game for a 2-1 lead as he was edging closer to the last four.
The former champion in Shenzhen wasn’t able to create break point opportunities in the second set as the aggressive Verdasco seal the contest with his 11th ace.
In 1 hour and 39 minutes the Spaniard defeated Murray for a second time in a row, sealing his place in a third semi-final for 2018 and his first on hard courts.
As for Murray he still needs to find his consistency and 1st serve % but overall it was an impressive week from his point of view. He will now compete in Beijing next week, which will be his 7th and final tournament of the season.
As for Verdasco he will now play Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the semi-finals tomorrow evening. The Japanese player defeated Britain’s Cameron Norrie 7-6(2) 6-2 to reach the last four. The world number 171 remained solid as he broke twice in the second set to complete victory as he aims for an Australian Open main draw spot.
The other semi-final will be contested between Alex De Minaur and Pierre-Hughes Herbert. The Australian defeated Damir Dzumhur 6-3 7-6(7), while the unseeded Frenchman battled past Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(6) 7-6(1) 6-4.
