TENNIS NEWS – JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO OFF TO A WINNING START, & RAFA NADAL GETS BACK ON TRACK WITH VICTORY IN RIO

Written by: Staff on 17th February 2016

TENNIS NEWS - JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO OFF TO A WINNING START, & RAFA NADAL GETS BACK ON TRACK WITH VICTORY IN RIO |

Great comeback from juan Martin del potro as he beats Denis kudla in straight sets winning 6-1 6-4 #delpotro #victory #delraybeach – Photo by @tennis_phil via Instagram.

By Ricky Dimon

Taking the court for the first time since last March, Juan Martin Del Potro began his most recent comeback with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Denis Kudla in the opening round of the Delray Beach Open on Tuesday evening. Del Potro won 24 of 26 (92 percent) first-serve points and did not face one break point while getting the job done in exactly one hour.

The 2009 U.S. Open champion had been sidelined since the 2015 Miami Masters because of recurring wrist problems. But he wasted no time getting back in the swing of things against Kudla. Del Potro held at love to begin the match and quickly broke for 2-0 while losing only one point. The former world No. 4 hit multiple two-handed backhands–the shot most affected by his left-wrist issues–while also mixing in a whole host of one-handed slices. He never hit out fully with the two-hander but did more than enough damage with his ferocious forehand to take care of Kudla with ease.

“I think winning a match after 11 months is the gift of the tournament for me,” the 2009 U.S. Open champion commented. “I’m so excited to keep working because I’m feeling if I do well and if I stay healthy my tennis will be behind me and maybe I can be dangerous one day again.

“I was nervous before the match and excited to see how my forehands and serves were going to be on court. I knew how my backhand would be…. I’m still working and improving to have a very good backhand to compete in this level. For me, it’s like winning a very important match in my career.”

Rafa nadal beats Pablo carreno busta in straight sets winning 6-1 6-4 #nadal #victory #rioopen – Photo by @tennis_phil via Instagram.

At almost the exact same time, Rafael Nadal polished off a victory by the exact same 6-1, 6-4 scoreline in Rio de Janeiro. Nadal’s first-round victim was good friend and occasional doubles partner Pablo Carreno Busta. The top seeded need just one hour and 20 minutes (not including a rain delay) to defeat his fellow Spaniard.

A disconcerting trend of giving back service breaks, however, continued for Nadal. After cruising through the opener, the 14-time major champion twice allowed Carreno Busta to immediately break back. A streak of five consecutive service donations finally ended with a Nadal hold and he held again at 5-4 to clinch victory.

Nadal cannot face his recent Buenos Aires conqueror, Dominic Thiem, until the Rio title match. Thiem maintained his winning ways by beating Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday afternoon.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

RESULTS – TUESDAY, 16 FEBRUARY 2016

Singles – First Round

[1] R. Nadal (ESP) d P. Carreno Busta (ESP) 61 64

[2] D. Ferrer (ESP) d [WC] N. Jarry (CHI) 63 76(3)

[5] D. Thiem (AUT) d P. Andujar (ESP) 63 64

F. Delbonis (ARG) d [6] J. Sock (USA) 75 61

[7] F. Fognini (ITA) d A. Bedene (GBR) 75 63

A. Dolgopolov (UKR) d [8] T. Bellucci (BRA) 67(3) 75 62

N. Almagro (ESP) d D. Munoz de la Nava (ESP) 61 36 64

I. Cervantes (ESP) d [Q] T. Daniel (JPN) 36 75 62

P. Cuevas (URU) d [Q] F. Bagnis (ARG) 62 60

P. Lorenzi (ITA) d M. Cecchinato (ITA) 64 36 61

[Q] D. Gimeno-Traver (ESP) d J. Monaco (ARG) 52 ret. right shoulder

S. Giraldo (COL) d [Q] G. Elias (POR) 64 76(5)

D. Schwartzman (ARG) d [WC] J. Souza (BRA) 63 62

A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) d D. Lajovic (SRB) 34 ret. left foot

SCHEDULE – WEDNESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 2016

QUADRA GUGA KUERTEN start 2:15 pm

ATP – [3] J. Tsonga (FRA) vs [WC] T. Monteiro (BRA)

Not Before 5:00 pm

ATP – [5] D. Thiem (AUT) vs D. Schwartzman (ARG)

Not Before 6:30 pm

ATP – A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs [2] D. Ferrer (ESP)

ATP – S. Giraldo (COL) vs G. Pella (ARG)

QUADRA 1 start 2:30 pm

WTA – [Q] M. Duque-Mariño (COL) vs F. Schiavone (ITA)

Not Before 4:00 pm

ATP – [7] F. Fognini (ITA) vs [Q] D. Gimeno-Traver (ESP)

ATP – [1] M. Melo (BRA) / B. Soares (BRA) vs [WC] F. De Paula (BRA) / O. Luz (BRA)

ATP – After suitable rest – A. Bedene (GBR) / A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs T. Bellucci (BRA) / M. Demoliner (BRA)

QUADRA 2 start 2:30 pm

WTA – [5] P. Hercog (SLO) vs [WC] S. Cirstea (ROU)

Not Before 3:30 pm

WTA – S. Rogers (USA) vs V. Cepede Royg (PAR)

ATP – P. Mathieu (FRA) / J. Tsonga (FRA) vs [4] N. Monroe (USA) / J. Sock (USA)

ATP – After suitable rest – D. Lajovic (SRB) / D. Thiem (AUT) vs A. Dolgopolov (UKR) / D. Munoz de la Nava (ESP)

QUADRA 4 start 2:30 pm

ATP – F. Delbonis (ARG) / P. Lorenzi (ITA) vs M. Gonzalez (ARG) / A. Sa (BRA)

WTA – To be finished – [1] A. Rodionova (AUS) / S. Vogt (LIE) vs B. Haddad Maia (BRA) / T. Pereira (BRA) 76(5) 00

WTA – T. Moore (GBR) / C. Perrin (SUI) vs [2] M. Erakovic (NZL) / S. Soler-Espinosa (ESP)

ATP – After suitable rest – [3] P. Cuevas (URU) / F. Fognini (ITA) vs [WC] R. Dutra Silva (BRA) / J. Souza (BRA)

QUADRA 5 start 2:30 pm

ATP – M. Daniell (NZL) / A. Sitak (NZL) vs [2] J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL)

Not Before 3:30 pm

WTA – [Q] C. Burger (NED) vs [Q] E. Kostova (BUL)

ATP – P. Petzschner (GER) / A. Peya (AUT) vs [Q] P. Carreno Busta (ESP) / D. Marrero (ESP)

Not Before 5:30 pm

WTA – After suitable rest – [4] V. Cepede Royg (PAR) / M. Irigoyen (ARG) vs P. Goncalves (BRA) / S. Marand (USA)

Topics: 10sballs.com, ATP Rio, Delray Beach Open, Denis Kudla, Juan Martin Del Potro, Men's tennis, Pablo Carreno-Busta, Rafael Nadal, Ricky Dimon, Rio Open, Sports, Tennis News

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