Estoril Open 2011 - Verdasco Lives To Fight Another Day

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco lived to fight another day, but the second seed made life difficult for himself in his opening match at the Estoril Open.

The World No. 15 led Portuguese favourite Frederico Gil 6-1, 5-1 before last year's runner-up made a comeback.

Verdasco was two points from victory at 5-2, 30/30 and squandered one match points on the Gil serve at 5-3, 30/40. Gil broke Verdasco to love for 5-5 and won his fifth straight game for 6-5 to leave the 27-year-old Madrid resident sweating.

Verdasco took control of the tie-break to wrap up a 6-1, 7-6(5) win in one hour and 44 minutes and his 10th win of the season.

Verdasco will next meet seventh-seeded South African Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Big-serving Anderson won 70 per cent of service points and hit four aces to beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-4, 6-2 in 85 minutes.

The match went with serve until the 10th game, when Anderson converted his third break point opportunity to clinch the 42-minute first set.

Anderson, again, had the advantage of serving first in the second set and broke Hanescu twice in the sixth and eighth games.

In February, Anderson captured his first ATP World Tour title at Johannesburg (d. Devvarman). The World No. 34 has a 17-9 match record on the year.