Fifth seed Fernando Verdasco is one step away from reaching the SkiStar Swedish Open final for the third time (2013, 2016) after coming through an all-Spanish encounter against Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 6-2 over 85 minutes on Friday.
Verdasco broke for a 3-1 lead, then saved three break points in the next game of the first set. He also broke Carreno Busta’s serve in the first and seventh games of the second set for his 20th match win of the season (20-17). “I think I played my best match so far in Bastad,” said Verdasco. “I knew it was going to be a really difficult match, as Pablo beat me in Miami this year and also in Basel a couple of years ago. “
He will now prepare to meet third-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini in Saturday’s semi-finals. World No. 15 Fognini, who knocked out Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-4, 6-3 in 81 minutes, earned his sixth ATP World Tour crown in February at the Brasil Open (d. Jarry). Verdasco leads Fognini 4-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series (including a 3-0 mark on clay).
Fourth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet defeated #NextGenATP Norwegian wild card Casper Ruud 7-6(4), 6-2 in one hour and 36 minutes. “He had some chances to break in the first set, but once I won that I was more confident,” said Gasquet, who captured his 15th ATP World Tour trophy at the Libema Open (d. Chardy) last month.
Gasquet will next face Swiss lucky loser Henri Laaksonen, who recovered from 2-4 down in the deciding set to beat Simone Bolelli, an Italian qualifier, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 54 minutes.
Peralta/Zeballos Reach Doubles Final
Second seeds Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos lost just eight of their service points to sweep past Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner 6-3, 6-2 in 53 minutes for a place in the doubles final. Peralta and Zeballos move into their eighth ATP World Tour team final (4-3). They await the winners of top seeds Max Mirnyi and Philipp Oswald versus Bolelli and Fognini.
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