DOHA • Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco was spotted cheering Ana Ivanovic as the Serbian star played Russia’s Vera Zvonareva at the Khalifa Tennis Complex yesterday.

Verdasco was often seen egging Ivanovic on from the players box during a tough match against Zvonareva which the Serbian lost. Rumours have been floating that the 24-year-old Verdasco is dating the 20-year-old Serbian beauty. The duo was even spotted during the China Open in Beijing in September. There too Verdasco, along with Ana’s mother watched her play Zheng Jie of China in the quarter-finals of China Open.

Verdasco is one of the top Spaniards who is currently ranked world number 16. He has five ATP titles. The recent success came in Umag, Croatia in July when he defeated Russia’s Igor Andreev in the final.