Tough first up for Fernando

We were guaranteed more tennis in Match 2 on Hisense, mainly due to it being best of 5 sets. Belgian David Goffin who burst into the spotlight with his efforts at Roland Garros last year had his work cut out for him to overcome crowd favourite Fernando Verdasco.  The Spaniard's name will always be associated with the Australian Open thanks to his epic semi final against Nadal in 2009.  Well Rafa isn't here in 2012 and only a shadow of the 2009 version of Fernando is, but he still possesses the serve and ground strokes to pose quandaries for players, especially early on in draws.
So for the first three games we saw a predictable battle from the baseline with enough long rallies to potentially bore but inevitably enthral.  Verdasco seemed to have the stronger shots and the more penetrating serve but he reduced his advantage with injudicious shot selection amongst his good stuff.
However Goffin became Verdascos's benefactor in the fourth game with three successive blunders including a double fault to give Fernando break points.  On the first of these both players went on a long searching rally at the end of which Goffin could only find net.  In fact he had been highly successful in finding this for much of the match.
With a break in hand, and a racquet as well Fernando found it a little uncomfortable but soldiered on anyway.  Holding serve for 4-1, with an ace to say he meant it, he once again brought pressure to bear on Goffin.  The Belgian was ready for it and responded with quality tennis but could not make inroads on the Spanish serve.  At 5-3 and serving for the set Verdasco had 15-15 whereupon Goffin hit the net twice  before returning one long to present the set 6-3 to his delighted adversary.
Clear from proceedings thus far was the need for Goffin to mix his game up.  He showed that he did not have the baseline game to match Verdasco and moving to the net occasionally to cut off the dangerous ground strokes could be a useful tactic if employed.
He didn't change his method but other things changed in the second set.  As was the case in Set 1 the games went with serve until the fourth but this time Goffin managed to achieve a break point for the first time. It was a Verdasco double fault that opened the door for the entry of a slashing back hand winner from Goffin and he led 3-1.  The joy was brief as Verdasco broke straight back with careless errors from Goffin the major cause.  At 3-4 Goffin once more took the advantage as Verdasco double faulted on break point.  Two Spanish errors from deuce in the next game and the match was tied at a set apiece.

The standard of tennis had lifted and stayed at a high level in the third set where Verdasco with some vintage forehands broke to lead 3-1.  Inexplicably a loss of focus led to a loss of the next four games by Fernando and Goffin served out the set 6-4.  His placement of shot was now hurting Verdasco and the pain did not subside at the start of Set 4 with another break of serve consolidated with a Goffin hold for 2-0 and Fernando thinking of booking flights.
Then Set 1 reappeared and it was Verdasco who found an accuracy to bond with his power. David surrendered his position, losing four games in a row, as if to mimic his opponent's third set misfortunes.        
Serving at 5-3 to level the match, Verdasco faced break points but managed to find the right shots to claim the game and the momentum for what would be a fifth set decider.
In the final set Goffin played as though he had blown his chances and no more would come his way today.  Fernando seized on the situation for the vital early break and a 3-1 lead.  Try as he may David Goffin was at pains to hold his own serve, let alone achieve a break on the increasingly confident Verdasco.  The shot making was more fluent, evidence of a player freed from the shackles and with the finish line fast approaching.  Not that Goffin would let it slip without fighting to the end, even having break point in the eight game.
It was number 22 seed Fernando Verdasco marching into the second round with a 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 triumph and yes it lasted a fraction longer than the Venus whitewash.