N. DAVYDENKO/F. Verdasco, 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7⁵, 6-3

An interview with: FERNANDO VERDASCO

Q. Two sets to love down. How hard is it to come back from that situation?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: So hard. It’s very difficult to come back always when the match is like this.

But you don’t need to think about that. If you think that, you have even more difficult situation. You must just try to keep playing and don’t think about that you are like this, no, that you were two sets to love.

You need to keep trying and trying all the time and don’t think too much about the other things.

Q. Did you think you had the game of the match when you were two sets all?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: You know, at the beginning of the fifth set, he looks like more tired than all the match before, all the sets before. But, you know, he really stayed there all the time. He serve good in one game with 30‑All. I made unbelievable return forehand so hard, and he touch the ball back and put the ball just to the line.

You know, it was ‑‑ I know that ‑‑ I think that the beginning of the fifth set I could have my chance, no, to maybe break him and take the advantage in the fifth set. Maybe he start to make more mistakes. You never know, no? But he really stay there in the fifth set, even though he was looking more tired than usual and making more mistakes.

Both of us was tired, no? It was hot out there, and it was a long match. So we both run a lot, so it was hard for both, no, to stay physically the same in the fifth set.

Q. Are you playing as well as this time last year when you had the five setter with Nadal?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: No, I think I played much better today. It was different, no? It was semifinals, and today was fourth round. Today was the first day with a really tough player, no? Last year I was already with Murray and Tsonga playing before Nadal.

With Nadal I played much better than with Murray in fourth round. So I think that in this tournaments you are getting better and better every match.

Today I start playing much worse than I played, for example, in the third or in the fourth. But in the fifth, my legs was not going the same, also his.

I was not able to play the same like maybe in the third or fourth set.

Q. Do you think he’s looming as a potential champion? Is he playing good enough tennis?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: I think it’s a tough question, because I think that in five sets players like Rafa or Federer, they have more chances, no? I think that he need to beat Federer, for example, that normally if Federer wins Hewitt tonight it’s gonna be quarterfinals. I think he must play unbelievable to beat Federer in five sets.

I think that Federer and Nadal in five sets are better than the rest. That’s why they always normally win all the Grand Slams. Davydenko, Murray and the guys just behind them, I think they’re not that level. Maybe they can beat them, but it’s tough, no? They had more experience, no, in tough matches. Nadal, for example, in finals in Wimbledon, Roland Garros, many times. It’s tough.

And Davydenko is, for example, like I was saying in the fifth set and fourth set he was looking more tired and making more mistakes. But today when I was like deuce in the beginning of the fifth set, he serve very good. Or when I was with any chance, no, he came back and he was out of the tough situation really good.

I think with players like Federer or Nadal, he will ‑‑ I don’t know. If I need to bet, I will bet more for Federer in five sets, or for Rafa to win the tournament.

But you never know. Davydenko is also playing very good.

Q. What do you need to do to get to that level of Rafa and Roger?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: Think it’s experience, no? Today was a tough match. I came back from two sets to love and I was playing much better. But, you know, I was not able to make the break at the beginning of the fifth set, take advance, and maybe break his game a little bit more, no?

So if I was able to make the break at the beginning of the fifth set, maybe he’s supposed to go for something more and he start to even make more mistakes than he was doing at the time. But I couldn’t do it, and he stays very good on the fifth set.
—-

Fernando had a tough fourth round loss to Nikolay Davydenko 2-6, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6⁵, 3-6. After fighting back from a two set deficit to level the match, Fernando was broken halfway through the final set and just couldn’t manage to pull himself back into the match.

I am not really certain what words to use to describe that match (clusterfuck comes to mind) other than the fact that it was more about outlasting and making the least amount of errors possible. Fernando served a ridiculous 20 double faults and made 81 unforced errors before the match finally ended.

You can check out the match stats as well as a detailed match report over at TennisTalk. I wanted to have my own, but the match went on so late and if I want any hope of getting to class on time tomorrow morning, I’ll go to bed now :) Hopefully the AO website will post up a copy of Fernando’s presser, which I’ll post tomorrow, as well as additions to the gallery once they show up at the photo agencies. Fernando’s got a couple weeks off to rest and get his head on straight. He’ll be heading to San Jose, California to take part in the SAP Open (as well as an exhibition against Pete Sampras before the tournament!)

So Fer’s run at the 2010 Australian Open has come to an end, but the year is just getting started and there’s plenty more tennis to play. Vamos and best of luck, Fernando :)

F. VERDASCO/S. Koubek, 6-1, RET

An interview with: FERNANDO VERDASCO

Q. Is it disappointing that you didn’t get more match time, that the match finished early? Would you have liked to have a little bit more?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: For one part for sure. I want to play more to get more rhythm for the next round. If I win, of course. But it’s not bad also to win fast, no, and have one day even more to recover. Because the next round is gonna be so difficult against Davydenko.

Of course you never want one guy to play sick and to feel like this, no? But it’s also good and I have more rest, no, for important match in fourth round.

Q. Will you have to change your preparation for the next match in any way?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: I will go now to practice.

Q. When did you notice that he was in trouble? Did you know at all?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: No, I didn’t know. I was just focus on myself. I didn’t know that he was sick for two days. You know, he just call the doctor and he retire straightaway.

So I didn’t know that he was like that.
—-

A little ‘making of’ featurette for an Air Europa commercial staring Fernando, along with Argentine footballers Leo Messi and Sergio Agüero. Awkward, but super funny :)

Thanks to Meriko1 for bringing this to my attention!

Fernando had a much easier match tonight against Ivan Sergeyev, with a straight sets victory 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 over the Ukranian qualifier. It was a very straight-forward win for Fernando, who broke Sergeyev’s serve right away in the first game of the first set and despite making a few small mistakes, cruised through the match, looking in great form. He’ll play Stefan Koubek next.

The ITF will soon be releasing its annual Davis Cup: The Year in Tennis and Fernando and Feliciano are featured on the cover for the 2009 edition. The International Tennis Federation annually publishes the books, which contain information about the entire World Group competition throughout the year. The 2009 edition will feature over 125 pages illustrated with a stunning collection of images and featuring commentary from some of the most prominent journalist in the sport.

You can save 34% by pre-ordering the book here at Amazon.com. You can also order it through the ITF webstore, but it’s about $12 more expensive!

(via rfet.es)

Fernando had a hard fought win today in his first round match at the Australian Open against Carsten Ball, finally managing to win it 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 7-5, 6-2. The first set had both Fernando and Carsten holding service games until the tiebreak, from which Carsten emerged the victor. Fernando broke Ball’s serve several times in the next two sets, only to be broken right back, managing to come out with guns blazing in the second set tiebreak and then finally secure one last break in the third set to avoid another tiebreak. I missed about half of the final set (my roommate locked herself out of her bedroom :p) but Fernando seemed to finally wear Ball down and clinched a hard-fought victory. He moves into the second round where he faces Ukranian qualifier Ivan Sergeyev.

Fernando started his 2010 season off in spectacular style with a win over three top players to take the title at the AAMI Classic in Kooyong. Battling the elements–the heat and a wild wind–he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3 to take the title and a new trophy for his mantleplace. Because Kooyong is just an exho, it doesn’t count with his official ATP tour titles, but a win is a win and this one should do wonders to boost Fernando’s confidence heading into the Australian Open next week.

F. VERDASCO/J-W Tsonga, 7-5, 6-3

An interview with: FERNANDO VERDASCO

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations Fernando.

FERNANDO VERDASCO: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: You are the 2010 AAMI Classic Champion. Well done. Have we got questions, please, for Fernando.

Q. Fernando, how important for your confidence and preparation was this week, to go through and play the finals in tough conditions? Is all that good for your preparation ahead of
the Open?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: I think that is – and I hope – that is going to help me, no, these three wins during these four days, and doing in this tough conditions that it was with the wind and, you know, I think it was also the first singles matches of the year for me since London, Masters Cup, last year. You know, I hope that it’s going to help me a lot to be ready for the next two weeks, so let’s see if I can feel myself and play at least as good as I was playing last year here. So I’m very happy that, you know, that I came again this year to Kooyong and getting ready for the best I can for the Australian Open.

Q. Can you assess how well you are playing – 80 percent, 90 percent?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: Sorry?

Q. Can you assess how good your game is at the moment, or do you need to go further?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: Like, my game, in percentages?

Q. Yes.

FERNANDO VERDASCO: I think that with these conditions it’s tough to say one per cent, you know, with this wind because, you know, is sometimes almost big part of the game you just try to put the ball deep and difficult for the other guy and just move the ball a little bit around, but also with big margins, you know, because with this wind, if you don’t play with, like, some big margin then you make a lot of mistakes and forced errors, so that’s one thing. So I think that I cansay physically, yes, physically I can tell you that I’m maybe – I’m not hundred percent, but maybe I’m 90 percent. I think that with the rhythm of the matches I’ll be a hundred per cent during the tournament. I was working really hard in the gym during two weeks in Las Vegas and these three matches, and all the practice I had the last week, playing a lot of sets, was to make the next step and to put my physical condition the best as possible for the Open. So I think I’m pretty close for the hundred percent, but I think I can be a little bit more when I get more rhythm of matches. And technically, about the heat, like the forehand, the backhand, everything, I’m feeling really good. It was really windy and really tough to play so, you know, if I play as good as I play with this wind I think I can really play so good if it’s no windy. But for me, the most important thing is that I put myself in a good level with these tough conditions and I win three good
matches against three very good players, so that’s the most important thing for me.

Q. What did you think of your draw, Fernando, for the Open?

FERNANDO VERDASCO: It’s tough draw, is very tough, starting with one guy that is going to have whole lot of people supporting him, you know, all the country, but at least just the people in the stadium that I will feel. I think that, you know, he’s a very good player, he’s improving a lot and it’s going to be a tough match. Then the other rounds, after that, you know, third round seeded is Ferrero. I think I heard he had like it was his uncle in Auckland and he didn’t know if he was able to play, or not, but I think he’s going to be able to play, and if he plays he’s going to be a very tough player. Then, you know, in fourth round, Davydenko, maybe the guy in better shape right now; quarter-finals with Federer; you know, I can say, semi-finals with Djokovic, final with Nadal, Del Potro, sort of, or not. When you are looking to win the tournament, when you come to one grand slam looking with a goal to win the grand slam you don’t need to really look, you know, in semis or in finals. You really need to go match by match and just try to feel and play the best as possible every day, and don’t think about who are you playing in ten days, you know. I will think about Tuesday, and then if I win Thursday, and like this. So we will see.

article with a little insight into Fernando’s pre-season training in Las Vegas with Gil Reyes :)
—

Fernando Verdasco was the man bearing the weight, straining against a leg-press machine as he lifted more than 600 pounds here last month. And yet the man making the most noise was his strength and conditioning coach, Gil Reyes, who was hunched forward in front of Verdasco and bellowing in two languages (“Beauty!” “Yesss!” “Si, puedes!”) as the Spanish tennis star raised the massive 270-kilogram load not once, not twice, but 14 times until Reyes finally shouted at him to stop.

“He’s a beast,” said Reyes, looking genuinely shaken. “I stopped him because I didn’t want him to break down. If he totally maxed out today, there’s a good chance it would throw him off stride tomorrow or the next day.”

Reyes’s gym occupies the ground floor of a residence inside a gated community on a road named after Agassi, who had the house and court next door built for his parents. Reyes lives in the community, too, and his carpeted weight room is filled with machines he built himself. He designed them for Agassi to be tennis specific when nothing specific enough existed.

For a reporter to enter the room requires the signature of a non-disclosure agreement, because Reyes wants to protect the confidentiality of the inventions he may commercialize.

“You can’t find some of these anywhere else,” said José Verdasco, Fernando’s father, who followed his own lifting routine as his son pushed his limits, exchanging embraces and fist bumps with Reyes during his intense training and bonding sessions.

Training with Reyes intermittently over the past 15 months, Verdasco has gone from 190 pounds to approximately 210 and added muscle. But Reyes said he spends more time strengthening Verdasco’s lower body than his upper body. One of Reyes’s many mantras is, “Weak legs command, strong legs obey.”

Verdasco, he of the monumental leg presses, is clearly seeking obedience along with a second home in Las Vegas to be closer to Reyes and his weights.

“If this is the future, I don’t really know,” said Verdasco of the Adidas program. “But of course it really helped me a lot, because I really found Gil that I have this strong connection with. Maybe if Adidas took another guy, maybe I wouldn’t have that same connection, and maybe I wouldn’t like it as much.”

(via nytimes)