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  • Ferrer and Verdasco advance while Andreev sputters

    5/14/08 4:19 AM | Jonathan Morgan
    - #5 seed and one of the favorits for Roland Garros David Ferrer advanced past lucky loser Ivo Minar while Andreev fizzled against Soderling.

    David Ferrer def. Ivo Minar 6-3, 6-3

    It was smooth sailing for Ferrer in this match, as expected. Minar has a solid showing, however, especially in the first set. Ferrer only was able to get one break as Minar tried to be aggresive. He attempted to take the Ferrer ball early and come to net on occasion, with mixed results. Ferrer would oftentimes makes a glorious pass or a tough volley for Minar. The second set was much easier for Ferrer, at least until he served at 4-1. Four consecutive breaks followed before Ferrer was able to close the deal with a double 6-3 match score.

    Fernando Verdasco def. Michael Llodra 6-2, 6-0

    Not much Verdasco did wrong in this one as Llodra was severly outplayed. Verdasco's game in the first round against Youzhny was equally as impressive. Great movement and footwork out there, impressive forehand and a fully-functioning mental game. He didn't face a single break point and handled the strong Llodra serve very effectively. The Frenchman served at 88% and wasn't going for as much as he would on a faster surface, but Verdasco play today was certainly a good sign.

    Robin Soderling def. Igor Andreev 4-6, 6-3, 6-3

    Soderling isn't a terrible clay court player, but it is easy to see that he prefers indoors and hard courts. Andreev's best surface is the clay, making this result all the more surprising. In the first set, Soderling's serve was absent, serving at just 48%. This game Andreev many looks at second serves, which he took advantage of to take over the rally from the get go. In the second and third sets, however, Andreev's level was average while Soderling improved. More first serves in the second and third sets got him the advantages in the rallies and he tried to end it with haste. Andreev at times looked a bit uninterested as Soderling went on the win the match in 3 sets.

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