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World No. 9 Fernando Verdasco of Spain has survived a tough four-set match against big-serving Australian Carsten Ball on Tuesday.

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The 198cm US-based Australian giant consistently troubled Verdasco with serves over the 200km/h mark and agile net play, but the Spaniard was patient and eventually prevailed 6-7(4) 7-6(1) 7-5 6-2.

The first set was a tight affair despite the game plan being different for each player; Verdasco was a picture of consistency, while Ball’s winners and unforced errors were neck and neck.

The young Australian’s consistently fast serving was matched by Verdasco’s groundstrokes, and the Spanish player went without an unforced error until the eighth game of the match.

The set went to a tie-break, which Ball took with a booming ace down the T that the crowd applauded with gusto.

“I felt like I played pretty well. It feels like it just gives me more confidence to go out and play bigger matches and play Grand Slams,” Ball said.

Fresh after a win at the Kooyong Classic in the lead up to Australian Open 2010, it was expected that the Australian Open 2009 semi-finalist would run away with the match after he had time to read Ball’s game.

But somebody forgot to tell that to the big-serving Aussie, who impressed by immediately breaking the Spaniard’s serve after having his own serve broken late in the second set.

The second set was forced in to a tie-breaker, which Verdasco won 7-1 with some classy shots.
“I got in to the [second] tie-break, and then got off to a rough start … then he just kind of got momentum with that,” Ball said.

Verdasco began to read Ball’s game better in the third set, especially the serve and volley on Ball’s second serve. He took the set 7-5, but not before a break of serve each in the middle of the set.

Verdasco never looked troubled after that, and took the fourth and final set 6-2 and the match in just over three hours in front of a large crowd at Hisense Arena.

In the second round, Verdasco will play Ukrainian qualifier Ivan Sergeyev, who was a surprise winner over world No. 41 Dudi Sela earlier in the day.