• Abierto Mexicano Telcel

Verdasco leads big names through in Mexico

Juan Monaco had to stretch for this volley, but he made it through © Getty Images

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Top seed Fernando Verdasco headlined the big names on their way through to a star-studded quarter-finals in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico on Wednesday.

Verdasco took out Lukasz Kubot 6-4 6-3 to prolong his hopes of winning a second title for the year. He faces Juan Monaco in the last eight after the seventh seed got past Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4 7-6 in 107 minutes.

Two-time defending champion Nicolas Almagro is still in the hunt for a hat-trick here after defeating Richard Gasquet 3-6 7-5 7-6. Almagro said he was delighted to come through the epic, especially having been 4-0 down in the deciding set before fighting back once more.

"It was an incredible match," said the 27th-ranked Almagro, who has now won 12 straight matches in Acapulco. "I thought we both played well, and towards the end there was a lot of adrenaline. I am very happy to win today and reach the quarterfinals. I don't know what it is with Acapulco, but I seem to play my best tennis here."

Someone's impressive streak but come to an end in the quarters, where Almagro faces Juan Carlos Ferrero. Ferrero won his 12th-straight match by defeating Igor Andreev 6-4 6-3.

The only seed to lose on Wednesday was eight-seed Albert Montanes, who fell 7-5 6-3 to Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas. Second-seed Fernando Gonzales took three sets to get past Romania's Victor Hanescu 7-6 3-6 6-1, while third-seed David Ferrer had too much experience for up-and-coming Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, over-powering the 22-year-old 6-4 6-1.

Qualifier Edward Schwank will hope to prove he's not making up the numbers in the next round after he progressed at the expense of Sebastien Gruel by a score of 7-6 6-3.

In the women's event, reigning champion Venus Williams came through the second round unscathed after an incredible match featuring ten breaks of serve, beating Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 6-4 6-4.

Kanepi could only get 36% of her first serves in, served 11 double faults, and conceded 17 break points, but she managed to create 16 openings of her own on Williams' serve despite the American's six aces.

Four other seeds went through to the quarters, with Agnes Szavay knocking off Renata Voracova 7-5 6-1, Gisela Dulko getting the better of Barbora Zahlavova Strycov by the same score, and Carla Suarez Navarro also progressing, this time in three sets with a 6-1 4-6 6-2 triumph over Catalina Castano.

Seeded Italians Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani and went out at the hands of Laura Pous Tio and Edina Gallovits respectively. Canada's Sharon Fichman won the other match 6-2 6-3 over Mariya Koryttseva.

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