Sao Paulo, Brazil (SportsNetwork.com) – Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco
was an easy first-round winner Tuesday at the Brasil Open.
The seventh-seeded former top-10 star cruised past Argentine qualifier Maximo
Gonzalez 6-2, 6-3 at this clay court event.
Also on Day 2, Argentine Diego Schwartzman handled last year’s runner-up Paolo
Lorenzi 7-5, 6-4 and lucky loser Facundo Bagnis surprised fellow Argentine and
defending Sao Paulo champion Federico Delbonis 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. Delbonis beat
the Italian Lorenzi in last year’s surprise finale here.
Some more opening-round action saw Brazilian wild card Joao Souza top Spaniard
Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), Dutch qualifier Thiemo de Bakker overcome
Argentine Juan Monaco 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 and Serb Dusan Lajovic come
back to beat Spaniard Pablo Andujar 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
This week’s winner will collect $80,850.
