TENNIS WORLD

Top seed Fernando Verdasco defeated German Mischa Zverev 7-5, 7-5 on Friday at the ATP Croatia Studena Open in Umag to advance to an ATP semifinal for the second straight week. He next faces seventh-seeded Italian Fabio Fognini (pictured), who upset five-time Umag champion and No. 3 seed Carlos Moya, 6-4, 6-3.
The 24-year-old Verdasco converted on four of his 12 break point chances during the one hour, 39 minute match, improving his head-to-head record against Zverev to a perfect 3-0.
Verdasco, who is making his Umag debut this week, has now advanced to the semifinals or better in three of his last four main draw appearances. He reached his first final of the 2008 season last month in Nottingham (l. to Karlovic) and the semifinals last week in Bastad (l. to Berdych). With a current record of 29-17, he is on course to break his career-best record of 35-28 set in 2005.
Fognini denied defending champion Moya a ninth straight appearance in the Umag quarterfinals as he posted his first career win in three attempts against the 31-year-old Spaniard. Moya prevented Fognini from serving out the match at 5-2, but the Italian followed by breaking him for the sixth time in the next game.
Fognini, 21, reached his first career ATP semifinal in February at Costa do Sauipe (l. to Almagro) and reached the stage again last month in Warsaw (l. to Davydenko). Earlier this month, he won the Challenger title at Turin (d. Junquiera).
Moya falls to a 45-9 career record in Umag. He won his first event title in 1996 (d. Mantilla), followed with three straight from 2001-03 (d. Golmard, Ferrer and Volandri in succession) and reclaimed the title last year (d. Pavel).
In the bottom half of the draw, fourth-seeded Russian Igor Andreev won 84 percent of his first serve points and capitalized on all three of his break point chances to defeat Argentine No. 6 seed Guillermo Canas, 7-5, 6-4.
Andreev will look to reach an ATP final for the second straight week, following a runner-up finish Sunday at Gstaad (l. to Hanescu), and next faces Argentine Maximo Gonzalez, who came back to defeat Croatian title hope Roko Karanusic 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4).
Gonzalez entered the week at a career-high No. 101 ranking after winning the Challenger title at San Benedetto earlier this month (d. Junquiera). He is playing in his sixth career ATP-level tournament, and prior to this week, had won just one match in defeating Karanusic in the first round at Roland Garros.
The Argentine, who celebrates his 25th birthday on final Sunday, upset Croatian No. 2 seed Ivo Karlovic in the second round.