The British number one won through 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3), meaning anything but a straight-sets victory for Juan Martin del Potro over Roger Federer in tonight's final group A match will see him take his place in the weekend's semi-finals.
The 22-year-old went into the match knowing a win against his Spanish opponent would take him to the brink of qualification, and he started well, forcing three break points on Verdasco's serve.
But Verdasco, 26, held to win the opening game.
Murray held to level, and opened up a 30-15 advantage in the next game, but Verdasco held serve with an ace.
A double fault from Murray gave Verdasco his own 30-15 advantage, but an ace and a crosscourt backhand winner were enough for the crowd favourite to win for 2-2.
Both players held dominantly for 3-3 as they upped their game towards the business end of the set.
However, Murray earned another break point in the seventh game after a delightful crosscourt backhand but Verdasco held firm to remain ahead.
Murray produced his second successive love service game for 4-4, before finally taking his chance to break in the next game.
After the game was progressed to deuce, a Verdasco error gifted him a break point before he netted an easy volley at the net to put the Scot one away from the first set.
Two double faults from Murray gave Verdasco an opening at 0-30, but he responded to earn his first set point. He netted for deuce, and repeated the same error on his second and third set point, but another Verdasco error handed Murray the set on his fourth set point.
Verdasco played more aggressive at the beginning of the second set, and after opening up a 2-1 lead, he got to deuce on Murray's serve with a thunderous forehand down the line, but two errors meant Murray held onto his serve.
In the fifth game of the set, the Spaniard netted for deuce, and a passing shot from Murray evaded Verdasco to earn break point, but some solid serving from Verdasco kept him ahead at 3-2.
Murray hit back from registering his sixth double fault to level at 3-3, before more aggressive play from the baseline from Verdasco saw him hold after Murray had hit back form 40-0 down to force deuce.
A love service game from Murray in under a minute brought the scores to 4-4, and he continued that momentum to take the first point on Verdasco's serve.
However, a couple of Murray mistakes saw Verdasco take the next four points for the game, leaving Murray serving to stay in the second set.
He won the opening two points, but a double fault and an exquisite Verdasco drop volley forced 30-30, and a Murray mis-hit gave the Spaniard his first break point, and set point. Murray repelled that with a flat serve out wide before two more powerful first serves took it to 5-5.
Murray created an opening at 15-30 in the next game, before a double fault handed Murray two break points. However, two exceptionally worked points brought the game back to deuce, before Verdasco netted a volley into the net for Murray's third break point of the game, but this time, Verdasco was successful with his backhand volley. A double fault gave Murray a fourth break point but again, Verdasco came up with the goods to force deuce. The Spaniard finally managed to see out the game with two vicious forehand winners which left Murray serving to stay in the set for the second time.
Murray managed to do with relative ease, and rounded off the game with an ace down the middle to force a tie-break.
Verdasco took the opening point with a drop-volley, before clinching the min-break after Murray netted. Murray took the third point when Verdasco went long, before Murray regained the break to trail 2-3, but went long to fall a min-break behind again as Verdasco lead 4-2 at the change of ends.
An aggressive point pulled it back to 4-3, before Verdasco went wide for 4-4. An unreturnable serve down the middle gave Verdasco a 5-4 advantage before a forehand winner gave the Spaniard two set points. An eighth double fault handed the set to Verdasco as the match went to a decider.
Murray took the opening game of the third set, and created a break point opportunity in the next game but Verdasco responded to make it 1-1.
Murray held to love in the next, bur despite Murray getting to 30-30, Verdasco held serve again for 2-2.
The Spaniard had a bigger impact on Murray's serve in the fifth game, hitting a crunching forehand winner, but a couple of flat serves were not handled by Verdasco and it went 3-2 to Murray.
The British number one produced a fine lob to get to 30-30 on Verdasco's serve, and a stunning crosscourt backhand brought up deuce, but several powerful baseline shots earned game point for Verdasco, and an ace levelled the scores at 3-3.
Verdasco took the opening point in Murray's next service game before two aces made it 30-15, and he took the next two points to lead 4-3, and keep the set going with serve.
Verdasco was beginning to come out on top in the crucial points, and rallied from 30-15 down to even things up at 4-4.
That momentum created by Verdasco continued on Murray's serve as a backhand winner down the line brought up 30-30, before another inspired crosscourt winner edged him again at 5-4, forcing Verdasco to serve to stay in the match.
He began the game confidently, forcing two Murray errors with his serve to go 30-0 up, but Verdasco went long with a lob and wide with a forehand for 30-30. However, two nerveless points took it to 5-5, before a service hold to love from Murray meant Verdasco needed to serve to stay in the match for a second time.
Like his previous service game, he opened up a 40-0, mainly due to two aces, before Murray netted to send the match into a final set tie-break.
Murray took the first point on serve, before Verdasco responded with a smash. Murray earned the first min-break with a floated backhand that Verdasco could only volley into the net, but Verdasco again responded to force Murray to net for 2-2. Murray kept the tie-break on serve with a well executed volley before Verdasco double faulted to give Murray a 4-2 lead at the change of ends.
Murray achieved a double mini-break to lead 5-2 after forcing Verdasco to net another volley, and Murray earned three match points after Verdasco went long and another Verdasco error gave Murray the match.
If Del Potro beats Federer, who has won both his two games so far, in three sets it will come down to win percentage of games for Murray, Federer and Del Potro to determine who reaches the semis.
The 22-year-old went into the match knowing a win against his Spanish opponent would take him to the brink of qualification, and he started well, forcing three break points on Verdasco's serve.
But Verdasco, 26, held to win the opening game.
Murray held to level, and opened up a 30-15 advantage in the next game, but Verdasco held serve with an ace.
A double fault from Murray gave Verdasco his own 30-15 advantage, but an ace and a crosscourt backhand winner were enough for the crowd favourite to win for 2-2.
Both players held dominantly for 3-3 as they upped their game towards the business end of the set.
However, Murray earned another break point in the seventh game after a delightful crosscourt backhand but Verdasco held firm to remain ahead.
Murray produced his second successive love service game for 4-4, before finally taking his chance to break in the next game.
After the game was progressed to deuce, a Verdasco error gifted him a break point before he netted an easy volley at the net to put the Scot one away from the first set.
Two double faults from Murray gave Verdasco an opening at 0-30, but he responded to earn his first set point. He netted for deuce, and repeated the same error on his second and third set point, but another Verdasco error handed Murray the set on his fourth set point.
Verdasco played more aggressive at the beginning of the second set, and after opening up a 2-1 lead, he got to deuce on Murray's serve with a thunderous forehand down the line, but two errors meant Murray held onto his serve.
In the fifth game of the set, the Spaniard netted for deuce, and a passing shot from Murray evaded Verdasco to earn break point, but some solid serving from Verdasco kept him ahead at 3-2.
Murray hit back from registering his sixth double fault to level at 3-3, before more aggressive play from the baseline from Verdasco saw him hold after Murray had hit back form 40-0 down to force deuce.
A love service game from Murray in under a minute brought the scores to 4-4, and he continued that momentum to take the first point on Verdasco's serve.
However, a couple of Murray mistakes saw Verdasco take the next four points for the game, leaving Murray serving to stay in the second set.
He won the opening two points, but a double fault and an exquisite Verdasco drop volley forced 30-30, and a Murray mis-hit gave the Spaniard his first break point, and set point. Murray repelled that with a flat serve out wide before two more powerful first serves took it to 5-5.
Murray created an opening at 15-30 in the next game, before a double fault handed Murray two break points. However, two exceptionally worked points brought the game back to deuce, before Verdasco netted a volley into the net for Murray's third break point of the game, but this time, Verdasco was successful with his backhand volley. A double fault gave Murray a fourth break point but again, Verdasco came up with the goods to force deuce. The Spaniard finally managed to see out the game with two vicious forehand winners which left Murray serving to stay in the set for the second time.
Murray managed to do with relative ease, and rounded off the game with an ace down the middle to force a tie-break.
Verdasco took the opening point with a drop-volley, before clinching the min-break after Murray netted. Murray took the third point when Verdasco went long, before Murray regained the break to trail 2-3, but went long to fall a min-break behind again as Verdasco lead 4-2 at the change of ends.
An aggressive point pulled it back to 4-3, before Verdasco went wide for 4-4. An unreturnable serve down the middle gave Verdasco a 5-4 advantage before a forehand winner gave the Spaniard two set points. An eighth double fault handed the set to Verdasco as the match went to a decider.
Murray took the opening game of the third set, and created a break point opportunity in the next game but Verdasco responded to make it 1-1.
Murray held to love in the next, bur despite Murray getting to 30-30, Verdasco held serve again for 2-2.
The Spaniard had a bigger impact on Murray's serve in the fifth game, hitting a crunching forehand winner, but a couple of flat serves were not handled by Verdasco and it went 3-2 to Murray.
The British number one produced a fine lob to get to 30-30 on Verdasco's serve, and a stunning crosscourt backhand brought up deuce, but several powerful baseline shots earned game point for Verdasco, and an ace levelled the scores at 3-3.
Verdasco took the opening point in Murray's next service game before two aces made it 30-15, and he took the next two points to lead 4-3, and keep the set going with serve.
Verdasco was beginning to come out on top in the crucial points, and rallied from 30-15 down to even things up at 4-4.
That momentum created by Verdasco continued on Murray's serve as a backhand winner down the line brought up 30-30, before another inspired crosscourt winner edged him again at 5-4, forcing Verdasco to serve to stay in the match.
He began the game confidently, forcing two Murray errors with his serve to go 30-0 up, but Verdasco went long with a lob and wide with a forehand for 30-30. However, two nerveless points took it to 5-5, before a service hold to love from Murray meant Verdasco needed to serve to stay in the match for a second time.
Like his previous service game, he opened up a 40-0, mainly due to two aces, before Murray netted to send the match into a final set tie-break.
Murray took the first point on serve, before Verdasco responded with a smash. Murray earned the first min-break with a floated backhand that Verdasco could only volley into the net, but Verdasco again responded to force Murray to net for 2-2. Murray kept the tie-break on serve with a well executed volley before Verdasco double faulted to give Murray a 4-2 lead at the change of ends.
Murray achieved a double mini-break to lead 5-2 after forcing Verdasco to net another volley, and Murray earned three match points after Verdasco went long and another Verdasco error gave Murray the match.
If Del Potro beats Federer, who has won both his two games so far, in three sets it will come down to win percentage of games for Murray, Federer and Del Potro to determine who reaches the semis.
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