Andy Murray beat Fernando Verdasco in a hard-fought round two game at AEGON Championships to move a step closer to a record-equaling fourth Queen’s Club title.
The British top seed posted 7-5, 6-4 win over the Spanish adversary to set up the quarterfinal with Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, who defeated reigning champion Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets in round two.
The victory on Thursday extended the 28-year-old’s head-to-head record against world No.42 Verdasco to 12-1.
Murray had last won Queen’s Club title in 2013 and if lifts silverware this weekend, he will become the fifth player after Andy Roddick, Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt, John McEnroe to win the competition four times.
In Thursday’s game, the top seed looked solid from the start on the baseline and broke Verdasco’s serve in the second game.
Though the Spaniard got the break back in the seventh game but Murray soon recovered in a sublime fashion to take the control once again.
Thanks to Murray’s dynamicity and strong defence, Verdasco’s play noticeably dropped and he made a string of faults which cost him the set.
Verdasco tested Brit on serve early in the second set but missed a backhand on the breakpoint in the first game. Murray then found two aces to claim the 2-1 lead.
The Spaniard then held firm until game 10 before eventually making a second serve. Murray counterattacked with a forehand return to restore his lead.
However, like the first set, Verdasco looked exhausted late in the second set and double-faulted thrice to capitulate the match.
