Sam Querrey, Fernando Verdasco win indoors to reach Pilot Pen final

Querrey, Verdasco move into Pilot Pen final

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Fernando Verdasco and Sam Querrey reached the Pilot Pen final with straight-set victories Saturday in semifinals that were moved inside because of rain.

Verdasco of Spain beat Igor Andreev of Russia 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in this U.S. Open tuneup. Querrey used 11 aces in a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina’s Jose Acasuso, who grew so frustrated in the second set he repeatedly smashed his racket on the court.

The semifinal winners were to meet for the title Saturday night. Officials were hoping for enough of a break in the weather so play could resume outside for the men’s final and the women’s final between defending champion Caroline Wozniacki and Elena Vesnina.

Verdasco and Andreev were tied 4-4 in the first tiebreaker before Verdasco won the last three points. In the second set, Verdasco fought off three set points in the 13th game to hold serve. Tied again 4-4 in the tiebreaker, Verdasco won three of the next four points to advance.

“In the second tiebreaker, I made a lot of mistakes, and I didn’t play well,” Andreev said. “In the first tiebreaker, he just outplayed me.”

Querrey made the most of his big serve. The American once knocked the numbers from the small hand-turned scoreboard in the corner of the court at Yale’s indoor Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center.

He broke Acasuso in the second game of the match, and broke again in the ninth game of the second set, prompting Acasuso’s racket-smashing outburst. Acasuso won just four points on Querrey’s serves in the second set.

“I had only one break point, and he served good that point,” Acasuso said.

The semifinals had been scheduled for Friday, but were rained out. With rain forecast for most of Saturday, and the U.S. Open starting Monday, the decision was made to move the two matches inside.

The Connecticut Tennis Center stadium seats 13,000 while the indoor center has a capacity of about 300. Spectators watch from a balcony overlooking the courts or from adjacent courts, where they stand behind a rope.