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  • Roddick, Verdasco look to set up Bejing QF encounter

    9/24/08 10:16 PM | Jonathan Morgan
    - Andy Roddick will be playing Brendan Evans while Fernando Verdasco will spar with Juan Carlos Ferrero.

    Andy Roddick has not had his best season ever, and hasn't for a few years. But, save for a few weeks between Wimbledon and US Open 2006, he has stayed in the top 10 every week since November '02. That's crazy consistency; the same consistency that will see him through in this match and the same consistency that qualifier Brendan Evans does not yet have. This is, however, Evans' best year on tour, having reached a career-high ranking over the summer. But Roddick should breeze through this one with no problem.

    A more intriguing matchup is that of former No. 1 player in the world Juan Carlos Ferrero, who never really backed up his 2003 year due to chickenpox and other ailments. Ferrero's been hurting, having missed most of the events over the summer and the US Open. Beijing is his first event since Wimbledon, but he looked good in his first-round win.

    Verdasco is an interesting case seeing as he has the talent to easily be in the top 10, but his mental fragility sets him back. These guys have only met twice, in '03 and '04, both on clay. They split the matches, but neither match means much as they occurred such a long time ago. Nowadays, it looks as if Verdasco will be able to win this match with how well he's been playing. Of course, he will at some point have a lapse, a little hiccup that will allow Ferrero to get back into the match. If Verdasco can avoid that, he should be through to the next round.

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