Fernando Verdasco needed almost three hours to see off a resilient Kristof Vliegen in a tense Wimbledon second-round encounter on Court Three.

IT was a day to forget for the United States at the French Open yesterday, with their nine-strong contingent of men’s singles players making history for the wrong reasons.

Wimbledon champion Roger Federer fired an ominous warning to rest of the tournament as he crushed Belgian Kristof Vliegen in straight sets to cruise into the second round of the French Open.