Nadal through but Verdasco out in Cincinnati

[~IronMan~]

Thu, Aug 19 01:17 AM

Enlarge PhotoRafael Nadal of Spain serves to Taylor Dent of the U.S. during their second round... World number one Rafa Nadal moved into the third round of the Cincinnati Masters with a 6-2 7-5 victory over American Taylor Dent on Wednesday.

In the first real upset of the tournament, Nadal's compatriot Fernando Verdasco, seeded eighth, lost to 36th-ranked American Mardy Fish.

Journeyman Dent, ranked 83rd in the world, struggled in the first set but the 29-year-old's serve improved noticeably in the second and he threatened to make life complicated for Nadal when he broke and went 4-2 up in the second.

The Spaniard swiftly broke back and then broke again to go 6-5 up before serving out for the match.

Nadal will face Julien Benneteau in the next round after the Frenchman defeated Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4 6-2.

Fish, who has credited his recent surge in form to weight loss, entered the tournament on a wildcard but played some inspired, attacking tennis to beat Verdasco in two tie-breaks.

Serbian world number three Novak Djokovic also progressed in straight sets, defeating compatriot Viktor Troicki 6-3 7-5.





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