Stanislas Wawrinka has booked his place in the second round of the US Open courtesy of a straight-sets victory over Fernando Verdasco.
The number three seed needed almost two-and-a-half hours to overcome his Spanish opponent 7-6(4) 6-4 6-4 and progress at Flushing Meadows.
Wawrinka was forced to save three break points throughout the opening set, while failing to get any joy against the serve of Verdasco.
However, just three of the tie-break points went with serve, and Wawrinka was able to claim two of them to take the breaker 7-4 and move into the lead.
The Swiss created his first break points in the third game of the second set, and he made them count to take complete control of the contest.
Verdasco saved two set points at 5-3 down while serving to stay in it, but it was merely delaying the inevitable as Wawrinka served out the final game to love to take a 2-0 lead.
A solitary break proved vital in the final set too, this time coming in the seventh game as Wawrinka moved ahead before serving the match out with minimum fuss.
Barney Corkhill
