Knocking out Rafael Nadal in the first round was no small feat, so Fernando Verdasco will be confident about his chances of advancing out of the second round at the 2016 Australian Open when he takes on Dudi Sela. Join The Roar for live scores of the match from 2pm (AEDT).
In his first-round match, Verdasco had to spend five sets on-court against one of the best players in world – Nadal. However, it was all worth it, as he dominated the final set to run away with the match.
The biggest question is how he has recovered in the space of 48 hours.
Having only played two games this year, with one win over Malek Jaziri and a loss to Novak Djokovic, Verdasco certainly didn’t have the form to suggest he was capable of the upset.
His second-round opponent, on the other hand, has played in nine Australian Opens and been eliminated in the first round five times. In saying that, he did make the third round last year.
In his first-round match Sela took on Benjamin Becker and dominated three out of the four sets played, but was shown up in the set he lost. There was no in-between in his game: it was either really good, or really bad.
In the lead up to the Australian Open, he was knocked out in the first round of a challenger event in Canberra by Santiago Giraldo.
The pair have previously played three times, with Verdasco taking all three meetings. They haven’t, however, ever met in a grand slam.
Prediction
Verdasco should find this second round match a lot easier than that of his first.
Verdasco in four sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of this clash from 2pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to leave a comment if you’re following the action.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde
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