Fernando Verdasco has set up a second-round showdown with Alexander Zverev at the Bett1 Hulks Indoor in Cologne after beating Andy Murray in straight sets 6-4 and 6-4.
A Spanish attack :
Going into the match Murray had the lead in the head to head by a long shot with a 13-3 advantage. Verdasco was looking to change that and had the first breakpoint of the match in the first game. Murray would end up saving with a brilliant volley winner.
He would go on to hold serve and then have two break chances of his very own in the next service game. The Spaniard would save both when the Scottish made two unforced errors in a row. The Madrid native would hold serve and break in the very next game to take a 2-1 lead.
The 62nd ranked player would end up getting another break after holding serve to take a 4-1 lead and it looked like it was going to be one-way traffic. The 115th ranked Scott managed to get one of the breaks back and in the next game saved three break points en route to holding serve. It wasn't meant to be for Murray as Verdasco would serve out the set to take it 6-4.
Another tight set :
The second was almost a repeat of the first set as both players would hold their opening service games and at 1-1 Verdasco would have three more breakpoints and at the worse possible time, Murray would double fault to give him the 2-1 lead.
The Scott would respond in the very next time by earning breakpoints to put the set back on serve and managed to do just that as he won a long rally finishing the point with a great smash at the net to make it 2-2. Both players once again held serve and at 3-3 it was the Spaniard with breakpoints of his own and he broke once again to take a 4-3 lead.
He would hold serve and the next game had his first match point which Murray would save forcing the error from his Spanish opponent. He held serve and had a chance to put the match back on serve again but Verdasco would come up with two huge forehand winners to save both breakpoints.
The Spaniard would serve out the set and the match to take it 6-4 and 6-4 and will face Alexander Zverev in the second round on Thursday.
In other action, it was a long day of Tennis as the first two matches on court went the full three sets. Henri Laaksonen beat German Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 3-6, and 7-6, Marin Cilic beat American Marcos Giron 6-2, 6-4, and 6-3.
A shocking upset happened in the third match of the day as the 92nd ranked South African Lloyd Harris beat Kyle Edmund of Great Britain 7-5 and 7-6 to set up a second-round encounter with American Steve Johnson.