Verdasco, Querrey Recover From Jet Lag To Advance

© Getty ImagesFernando Verdasco In Action

Tennis Masters Cup hopeful Fernando Verdasco, the No. 5 seed and wild card entry (pictured), improved to 3-0 lifetime against American Bobby Reynolds with a 6-3, 6-3 win in 66 minutes for a place in the China Open second round on Wednesday. Verdasco, currently No. 13 in the ATP 2008 Race to Shanghai, will next meet Spanish compatriot and former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero in the second round.

Verdasco recorded his 40th win of the season (40-22 overall record) with a dominant performance on serve – winning 73 per cent of points. The Madrid resident converted four of 10 break point opportunities to set up a third career meeting with Ferrero. Verdasco is attempting to capture his third ATP title this week, having sealed his second crown at Umag (d. Andreev) in July. The World No. 15 also finished runner-up in Nottingham (l. to Karlovic) in June. Reynolds, a two-time quarterfinalist at Delray Beach (l. to Nishikori) and Indianapolis (l. to Querrey) this year, dropped to a 12-16 record.

Eighth seed Sam Querrey, who made his Davis Cup debut for the United States against Spain in the World Group semifinals in Madrid last weekend, overcame a slow start to beat American compatriot Jesse Levine 1-6, 6-2, 7-6(4).

Querrey hit six aces, won 41 of 59 first serve points and converted three of five break point opportunities for victory in one hour and 43 minutes. Levine, who reached the New Haven quarterfinals (l. to Fish) last month, dropped to 7-16 on the season, while 20-year-old Querrey improved to a 27-22 record. In March, the Thousand Oaks resident captured his maiden ATP title at Las Vegas (d. Anderson). He will next meet Bjorn Phau of Germany in the second round.

Other first round winners included American qualifier Brendan Evans, who saved three match points to notch the second ATP-level win of his career with a 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(10) win over Roko Karanusic of Croatia that set up a clash against second seed Andy Roddick, who is attempting to qualify for Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai.

Israeli Dudi Sela was a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Nicolas Devilder, Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic knocked out Korean Hyung-Taik Lee 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 and Swiss qualifier Jean-Claude Scherrer was a 6-4, 7-6(4) victor over wild card Peng Sun of China.