Verdasco closes in on 450 wins at Swedish Open

Verdasco needs only two victories to reach the 450 mark after the Madrid native took only 80 minutes to see off qualifier Laaksonen 6-3 6-2 at the Swedish Open in Bastad.

Spain's Fernando Verdasco took only 80 minutes to see off qualifier Laaksonen 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of Swedish Open.

Fernando Verdasco set up an all-Spanish second round match against Albert Montanes by beating Henri Laaksonen at the Swedish Open on Tuesday, while Adrian Mannarino was a first-round winner at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.

Verdasco needs only two victories to reach the 450 mark after the Madrid native took only 80 minutes to see off qualifier Laaksonen 6-3, 6-2 in Bastad.

The fifth seed will face compatriot Montanes, who beat Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-2 in the clay-court event that he finished runner-up in three years ago and twice exited at the semi-final stage.

Calvin Hemery set up a second-round meeting with top seed David Ferrer by beating fellow-Frenchman Tristan Lamasine 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

German Dustin Brown lost only nine points on his first serve as he accounted for Daniel Munoz de la Nava, while Taro Daniel of Japan beat seventh seed Horacio Zeballos to reach round two.

Sixth seed Mannarino moved into round two across the Atlantic on the grass in Newport, beating wildcard James Duckworth 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.

Last year's semi-finalist John-Patrick Smith came through 6-4, 6-4 in the match between two Australians at the expense of Jordan Thompson.

Stefan Kozlov took advantage of his wildcard entry by sending Bejamin Becker out on day two of the tournament in Rhode Island.