• ATP Tour

Verdasco remains on course for O2 with win over Russell

ESPN staff
November 1, 2010
Fernando Verdasco has his sights set on a trip to London © Getty Images
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Fernando Verdasco kept himself in the hunt to reach the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-4 6-1 win over Michael Russell in the first round of the Valencia Open.

The Spaniard is battling for one of the three remaining places at London's O2 Arena at the end of the month and came into the clash in Valencia with pressure on his shoulders.

The No. 3 seed took time to warm to his task, as he hit just 62% of first serves in the opening set but he had enough class to work two breaks of the Russell serve to take the opening set.

Russell offered little by way of a threat in the second set and Verdasco broke on the three occasions he worked a break point and wrapped up the match in one hour and 15 minutes.

Verdasco was joined in round two by Stanislas Wawrinka, with the unseeded Swiss digging deep into his reserves to claim a 7-6(2) 7-5 win over Andreas Seppi.

>Gilles Simon cruised into the second round in Valencia with a 6-3 6-3 win over Sergiy Stakhovsky.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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