TENNIS in DEPTH.

Juan Monaco claimed a straight sets win over top seed Fernando Verdasco to reach the semi-finals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel tournament in Acapulco.

Seventh seed Monaco continued his impressive form during the Latin American clay-court season to overcome Verdasco 7-5 6-3.

Monaco, the world number 30, reached the final in Santiago at the start of the month before reaching the semi-finals in Buenos Aires, where he lost to eventual champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, last week.

The Argentinian will get his chance of revenge against Ferrero in the last four after the 30-year-old former world number one eliminated two-time defending champion Nicolas Almagro 6-1 5-7 6-2.

Second seed Fernando Gonzalez avoided an upset when he battled back from a set down against Argentinian qualifier Eduardo Schwank 3-6 6-3 7-5 in a match that lasted two hours and 13 minutes.

The Chilean will next play third seed David Ferrer who reached his third consecutive semi-final with a comfortable 7-5 6-4 victory over Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas.

Ferrer broke his opponent four times and did not give up a break on his own service.

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Second seed Fernando Verdasco was dumped out of the ATP Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in straight sets by Jeremy Chardy.

The Spaniard headed into this tournament on a high after beating Andy Roddick in the SAP Open final in San Jose on Sunday, but could not continue his good run in Memphis as unseeded Frenchman Chardy secured a 7-6 (7/4) 6-3 first-round win.

Seventh seed Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany was also eliminated on Tuesday as Kazakhstan’s Evgeny Korolev triumphed 7-5 7-5.

Tomas Berdych, the fifth seed from Czech Republic, enjoyed an altogether more comfortable route to round two with a 6-2 6-1 win over American qualifier Ryan Sweeting.

Latvian youngster Ernests Gulbis and Finn Jarkko Nieminen advanced in straight sets at the expense of American Robert Kendrick and Israel’s Dudi Sela respectively.

Croatian Ivo Karlovic, Chinese Taipei’s Yen-Hsun Lu, Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko and American Michael Russell all also progressed to round two on Tuesday.

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After a good week in San Jose, Andy Roddick heads east to Memphis for the ATP World Tour 500 event – the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships. Andy is the defending Champion and number one seed, but he has not been dealt a kind draw.

In his first round match, Andy will take on Davis Cup team mate, James Blake. The former world number four has struggled for form of late, and this has seen his ranking fall to 55. Andy and Blake have met nine times over the course of their careers, and although Andy leads the head-to-head 6-3, it is Blake who has won their past three meetings.

Looking further afield in the draw, Andy could meet Robby Ginepri in the second round, and Sam Querrey or Mardy Fish in the third.

Andy is in the same half of the draw as Thomas Berdych, whom he defeated last week in San Jose, and the new SAP Open Champion, Fernando Verdasco is also in Memphis as the second seed.

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Fernando Verdasco upset Andy Roddick’s bid for a fourth SAP Open title with a come-from-behind victory in San Jose.

Second seed Verdasco claimed a 3-6 6-4 6-4 win over top seed and former world number one Roddick, who had won the tournament on three previous occasions – in 2004, 2005 and 2008.

It was the 26-year-old’s fourth ATP Tour title, denying Roddick a 29th win.

Roddick had suffered a scare in the semi-final, losing the opening set before defeating fellow American Sam Querrey in three sets.

Verdasco was also pushed to a decider before defeating Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin.

Against Roddick, the Spaniard made just 54% of first serves in the opening set and was broken twice, but he bounced back.

Verdasco secured the only break of the second set, despite his first serve still faltering.

There was again only one break in the third set, with Verdasco taking it to clinch the tournament.

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Top seed Andy Roddick fought back from a set down to win his SAP Open semi-final and set up a meeting with second seed Fernando Verdasco in San Jose.

Former world number one Roddick, chasing a fourth title at the tournament after wins in 2004, 2005 and 2008, claimed a 2-6 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/4) win over fellow American Sam Querrey in one hour 59 minutes.

Verdasco earlier beat Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-3 2-6 6-4 to reach the final.

But it was Roddick who had the greater scare in the last four.

Seventh seed Querrey won the opening set at a canter, breaking the fearsome Roddick serve twice.

But Roddick bounced back, improving the accuracy of his first serve and taking the remaining two sets in tie-breaks.

Spain’s Verdasco awaits after seeing off the challenge of Istomin in one hour 43 minutes.

Verdasco was in charge after the opening set, but Istomin fought back with three breaks in the second set before the momentum again turned in the Spaniard’s favour.

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Andy Roddick’s bid for a fourth SAP Open remained on track in San Jose as the American won a serving shoot-out with Tomas Berdych.

There were no breaks of serve in the contest between the former world number one, the winner in 2004, 2005 and 2008, and Czech player Berdych, as Roddick prevailed 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/5) to reach the semi-finals.

Roddick will meet compatriot Sam Querrey in the last four after the seventh seed defeated Michael Russell.

Querrey won 6-4 6-3 in one hour six minutes.

The second semi-final will see Fernando Verdasco play Denis Istomin.

Verdasco, the second seed from Spain, recorded a 6-3 7-6 (7/5) win over Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis in the last eight.

Uzbekistan’s Istomin, meanwhile, was a 6-1 1-6 6-3 victor over German sixth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber.

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“I felt a little old,” the 38-year-old tennis great said.

Sampras’ serve is still explosive — he had nine aces — but his return game was no match for the younger and more polished Fernando Verdasco in a charity exhibition that kicked off the SAP Open at HP Pavilion.

Making his third straight appearance at the San Jose tournament, Sampras lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) to the 11th-ranked player in the world. The match was over in just under an hour.

“It was a little frustrating, because I was obviously having a hard time getting to his service games,” Sampras said. “His serve is tricky for me to get a hold of. Sometimes he’d spin it in. Sometimes he’d crack the whip pretty flat, so I was sort of off balance.”

Verdasco is 12 years younger than Sampras and at an entirely different stage in his career. Verdasco, seeded second in the main draw this week, has steadily climbed the rankings, reaching No. 7 last spring after reaching the 2009 Australian Open semifinals.

Sampras, meanwhile, spends much of his time at home in Los Angeles, raising his two boys (ages 7 and 4) and trying to find something to take the place of pro tennis.

Playing exhibitions “gives me focus at home, which is great,” Sampras said. “I don’t like to not do anything. Playing someone like Fernando makes me want to practice hard. It makes me want to work and do the things Ineed to do to play well.”

Like Sampras’ visits to San Jose the previous two years, the tennis Monday was more show than high drama. When one call went against Sampras, the 14-time Grand Slam champion jokingly noted the age difference between himself and Verdasco, drawing laughs from those seated near the court.

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