An intriguing semifinal on Saturday in Bastad pits Grigor Dimitrov against Fernando Verdasco. Chris Skelton handicaps the action.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Or at least that’s what both Grigor Dimitrov and Fernando Verdasco will hope heading into their first career meeting in the Bastad semifinals on Saturday.
In each of his first two matches, Dimitrov needed to rally from losing the first set to an opponent well below his quality. But he often plays to the level of the competition, and he rose to the occasion against the more dangerous Juan Monaco. Dimitrov will enter this semifinal fresher than Verdasco, who survived 10 double-faults in a tortuous three-set quarterfinal over No. 2 seed Nicolas Almagro.
That victory continued a string of encouraging results for Verdasco after a frustrating first half. A quarterfinalist and nearly a semifinalist at Wimbledon, he reeled off 14 consecutive sets there. Verdasco showed a discipline and determination that he had not found for most of the previous 12 months, and those traits could give him an edge on Saturday against the still-unreliable Dimitrov.
In this lefty-righty matchup, much may depend on the direction of the cross-court exchanges. Verdasco’s heavy lefty forehand could break down Dimitrov’s one-handed backhand, much as Rafael Nadal’s lefty forehand erodes Roger Federer’s backhand. On the other hand, Dimtrov could force Verdasco into tactical uncertainty and poor decisions if he pins the Spaniard in his own backhand corner. While Verdasco can unleash more powerful first strikes from the baseline, the steadier point-starting shots in serve and return belong to the Bulgarian.
The quality of tennis from both men tends to ebb and flow throughout a match, so a three-set roller-coaster looks likely. Expect plenty of scintillating shot-making and a healthy helping of “huh?!?” alongside it before Verdasco’s superior clay prowess prevails.
Pick: Verdasco in 3
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