Juan Martin del Potro’s comeback continues to gather steam with the Argentine steadying to close out Bosnian Damir Dzumhur to reach the Delray Beach Open quarter-finals on Thursday night. The 2011 champion, in just his second match of the season, put paid to his 24-year-old opponent’s fightback to land a 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3 victory. “It was a really tough match for me,” del Potro said. “He was really fast from the baseline and I couldn’t find the place to make winners with my forehand. “I got my chances at the end of the match and I took it. I think I played my best game in the third set. “He was trying to put the ball all the time to...
Juan Martin del Potro made a tentative, but ultimately successful, 2017 ATP World Tour debut Tuesday night at the Delray Beach Open, posting a 6-4, 6-4 win over Kevin Anderson. In a battle of the former Delray Beach champions, del Potro hit cautiously off his backhand wing and survived a tumble in the first set that left him with a grazed right knee. The former US Open champion, who has endured three left wrist surgeries (in addition to 2010 surgery on his right wrist), struggled to generate pace on his backhand and mixed in a number of one-handed slices. When Anderson approached the net, del Potro elected to either lob or stretch the South African with well-placed, medium-paced backhands. But...
It started out with so much promise. A Twitter post. More than 200 retweets and 700-plus favourites. Catchy nicknames with hashtags to boot: #KevJuan, #AnderDelpo, #DelPAnderson. But, in the end, the powerful combination of Juan Martin del Potro and Kevin Anderson met some unfortunate luck when they tried to make their doubles team debut last October at the If Stockholm Open. Anderson, who dealt with injuries all last season, had to retire from their first-round match after 10 games because of an adductor strain. “Unfortunately that was right when my hip was getting sore and we couldn't finish the match. Nothing really took off. I think we maybe needed to play a few more matches to gain any traction,” Anderson...
Only one ATP World Tour tournament is played in Juan Martin del Potro's home country of Argentina. But for the affable Argentine, every stop can feel like home. Much like Roger Federer, del Potro draws cheers from all over the world. “It means a lot to have this support because many players can’t feel that sensation,” del Potro told ATP World Tour Uncovered. “When I go around the U.S. or Europe or Asia, it feels like a hometown tournament because people are coming to watch me play. They don’t care if I win or lose. They just want to see me play tennis and that’s important for me.” The 28 year old must feel especially welcome at the Delray Beach...
Ahead of one of the most eagerly awaited returns to the ATP World Tour for 2017, Juan Martin del Potro has released behind-the-scenes footage of his preparations back home in Argentina. The former World No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings announced earlier in the week he would start his season at the Delray Beach Open, the site of his tour comeback last season.
This week, he hit the courts with Gael Monfils and #NextGenATP player Elias Ymer at Crandon Park in Miami to practise for his season-opening campaign. His video footage from Tandil and Buenos Aires was filmed with his physiotherapist Diego Rodriguez before he shifted his preparations to the U.S.
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