Nadal Records 60th Win Of Year; Verdasco Suffers Blow In Finals Bid

© AFP/Getty ImagesBenjamin Becker ranked a career-high World No. 38 on 5 March 2007.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal recorded his 60th win of a remarkable year on Thursday, when he defeated Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans 6-1, 6-4 in 72 minutes for a place in the PTT Thailand Open quarter-finals.

Nadal, who arrived in Bangkok 10 days ago, dropped just eight points on serve and converted three of five break point opportunities. He has a 60-7 match record on the season.

The 24-year-old Spaniard locked up ATP World Tour Champion honours for the second time in three years after capturing his first US Open title (d. Djokovic) on 13 September. He became the seventh man in the history of the sport to complete a career Grand Slam and the youngest to accomplish the feat in the Open Era (since 1968).

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"It's never easy in a first match," said Nadal. "I had a few days rest after the US Open but I think I am playing well. I'm happy with my match. Bemelmans played well during some moments and the second set for sure was not easy. It's important to start with a win."

Nadal, who met Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva after the match, said, "It was an honour for me to meet the Prime Minister and I would just like to thank him for coming to watch the match."

Nadal will next play Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, who served 17 aces in a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win over Olivier Rochus - his second consecutive three-set victory.

Second seed Fernando Verdasco suffered a blow in his bid to add valuable points to his South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking, when the Spaniard fell in his opening match. 

The World No. 8, who is hoping to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London for the second successive year, was beaten by No. 65-ranked Benjamin Becker of Germany 6-4, 6-4 in 87 minutes. It was Becker’s first win over Verdasco since June 2009 at the UNICEF Open.

"It's always good to get a win over a Top 10 player," said Becker. "It's not every week that it happens, so it gives me confidence for the rest of the indoor season. I had beaten him before so I knew I had a chance today."

Becker, the 2007 runner-up, hit nine aces for the fifth Top 10 victory over his career (5-16 lifetime). Verdasco has a 2-2 record in ATP World Tour finals this year and a 41-18 match record.

Jarkko Nieminen, a quarter-finalist at the Open de Moselle last week, continued his run of form by reaching the last eight of an ATP World Tour tournament in Bangkok.

The 29-year-old Finn saved an astonishing 14 of 15 break points to defeat seventh-seeded Serbian Viktor Troicki 7-6(4), 6-2 in one hour and 41 minutes. Nieminen improved to a 19-22 match record on the season.