Del Potro wins aces thriller in Vienna opener
Source: AFP |
October 19, 2012, Friday
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TOP seed Juan Martin Del Potro marked his return to tennis after a month-long injury absence on Wednesday with a three-hour victory over German qualifier Daniel Brands to reach the Austrian Open third round.
The Argentine defeated Brands 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6) in a match featuring 62 aces (32 for Brands and 30 for Del Potro) and no breaks of serve.
The ATP Tour website said it had been the first time that two players in the same three-sets match had hit at least 30 aces since they started keeping match statistics in 1991.
The match point - Del Potro's second - was decided by the Hawk-Eye electronic system.
"If I'd known I'd have to start with a three-hour win, I would have stayed home," joked the 2011 finalist, who was playing for the first time since suffering a wrist injury in September's Davis Cup semifinals.
"We both served so well, it was a really tough match," added Del Potro, who kept alive his hopes of booking a place in the eight-man World Tour Finals next month in London which wraps up the ATP season.
The Argentine top seed struggled to find any rhythm in the first set, relying on his serve to stay out of trouble against Brands, the world No. 111 who made the semifinals in 2011.
The German won the opening set only to see Del Potro return the favor in the second, claiming it on a fifth set point.
The final set was also tight before Del Potro pulled it out in another tiebreaker.
"I guess it was a good match to start. I need to count on my serve in the next one. I will have to work on my returns though," said Del Potro.
"I had a few chances today which were hard to take, it all came down to the last point."
Also, two-time champion Juergen Melzer suffered his earliest Vienna defeat in five years.
The Argentine defeated Brands 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6) in a match featuring 62 aces (32 for Brands and 30 for Del Potro) and no breaks of serve.
The ATP Tour website said it had been the first time that two players in the same three-sets match had hit at least 30 aces since they started keeping match statistics in 1991.
The match point - Del Potro's second - was decided by the Hawk-Eye electronic system.
"If I'd known I'd have to start with a three-hour win, I would have stayed home," joked the 2011 finalist, who was playing for the first time since suffering a wrist injury in September's Davis Cup semifinals.
"We both served so well, it was a really tough match," added Del Potro, who kept alive his hopes of booking a place in the eight-man World Tour Finals next month in London which wraps up the ATP season.
The Argentine top seed struggled to find any rhythm in the first set, relying on his serve to stay out of trouble against Brands, the world No. 111 who made the semifinals in 2011.
The German won the opening set only to see Del Potro return the favor in the second, claiming it on a fifth set point.
The final set was also tight before Del Potro pulled it out in another tiebreaker.
"I guess it was a good match to start. I need to count on my serve in the next one. I will have to work on my returns though," said Del Potro.
"I had a few chances today which were hard to take, it all came down to the last point."
Also, two-time champion Juergen Melzer suffered his earliest Vienna defeat in five years.
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