The finals for the 2011 SAP Open in San Jose, Calif., are now set. Top seed and world No. 9 Fernando Verdasco will be taking on the unseeded Milos Raonic. One half of the doubles final is set as well, with Americans Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram set to take on the winner of tonight's bout between Mark Knowles/Michal Mertinak and Alejandro Falla/Xavier Malisse.
Verdasco beat the 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in two sets by a score of 6-4, 6-4. Verdasco got the match started by breaking del Potro on the opening game of the match and cruised through the majority of said match. To illustrate just how good he looked, he lost only three points on his serve throughout the first set. He was broken in the second set as del Potro seemed to be rallying back, but Verdasco eventually showed what it was that made him win the SAP Open last year when he beat Andy Roddick in three sets, winning the match with a blistering ace at love.
The unseeded Raonic advanced as a walkover when second-seeded Gael Monfils withdrew from the tournament with a wrist injury. Monfils could miss a month or more with the injury, and will be in doubt for next months Masters 1000 at Indian Wells. He's also out of the French first round of the Davis Cup next month. The wrist injury was first noted in this year's Australian Open.
Raonic is presently unheralded, but noted as an up-and-comer. This is his first ATP World Tour final. The match will be on following the doubles final on Sunday, at approximately 5:00 p.m. Pacific. Check back at this stream and follow @sbnbayarea on Twitter for live updates for just about every point!