Del Potro Still Smoking Hot As He Moves Into The Third Round

Written by: Global Chick on 3rd September 2011

Del Potro Still Smoking Hot As He Moves Into The Third Round

Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina hits a return to Diego Juniqueira of Argentina during their second round match on the fifth day of the 2011 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA 02 September 2011. The US Open runs through 11 September 2011. EPA/JASON SZENES |

The former US Open Champion Juan Martin Del Potro is continuing his US Open campaign in style with a win over Diego Junqueira 6-2 6-1 7-5.

The two players are from the same small Argentinian town of Tandil. The similarities end right there. Junqueira is mainly playing on the ATP Challenger Tour and this is his first US Open. His current ranking is 104 in singles and he has only won 9 career matches.

Del Potro is ranked No. 18 and is making a comeback after a wrist injury on which he had surgery in May last year. He was out for eight months and came back for the Bangkok tournament last year. This year the tall big serving player has won Delray Beach (d. Janko Tipsarevic) and Estoril (d. Verdasco).

The two first sets in today’s match were all going Del Potro’s way. The No. 18 seed lost concentration for a while in the third set and was pushed a little but soon got himself together and won the set and the match.

Del Potro said in the press conference he liked to play on the Grandstand court today. Of today’s match he said, “I’m glad I played better than my first round. I was more confident with my forehand especially in the beginning of the match, and always is important to go through. So doesn’t matter if you play good or not the first round if you win. Now, I’m in the third so I need to improve.”

Gilles Simon, the No. 12 seed is waiting for Del Potro in the third round. The Frenchman overcame Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-4 6-7 (4) 7-5 6-3. Simon and Del Potro faced each other at this year’s Wimbledon. Del Potro won in three tough sets. They have played a further two times once in 2007 in New Haven with Simon as the winner and the second time at the 2008 US Open with Del Potro coming out on top.