Verdasco and Lopez through in ATP Houston

No.5 seed Fernando Verdasco came through his rain-delayed first-round clash with Kevin Anderson to record a straight-sets victory at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.

The second day at River Oaks was washed out, but Spaniard Verdasco made up for lost time as the world No. 31 progressed after tie breaks in each set with a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4) win in just under two hours.

Verdasco’s compatriot and sixth-seed Feliciano Lopez joined him in the last 16 with a 7-5 6-4 victory over wildcard Bjorn Fratangelo.

Brazilian eighth-seed Thomaz Bellucci overcame American Frances Tiafoe 7-5 1-6 6-2 to move on to a clash with Maximo Gonzalez, who beat Jared Donaldson 6-4 5-7 6-3.

Argentine qualifier Leonardo Mayer came from behind to beat Czech Adam Pavlasek 5-7 6-2 6-1 and seventh-seed Donald Young is out after the American lost 6-3 6-4 to Brazil’s Thiago Moura Monteiro.

Germany’s Dustin Brown was a 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 winner over Juan Monaco and Argentine’s Horacio Zeballos beat Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-2 7-5, to set up a meeting with third-seed Sam Querrey.

Korean Chung Hyeon and Ernesto Escobedo also won through to the round of 16.

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