Del Potro shows sporting spirit, sets up blockbuster Murray duel
Print Edition
JUAN Martin del Potro set up a French Open blockbuster against Andy Murray yesterday after a heartfelt display of compassion towards a stricken rival.
The giant Argentine, no stranger to injury after a career-long battle with wrist problems, made the third round after Spanish opponent Nicolas Almagro quit in tears during the third set of their tie with a left knee injury.
In a moving conclusion on Court 2, Del Potro sat next to a sobbing Almagro, offering him water while patting the head of the inconsolable 31-year-old.
Del Potro had also gone to the Spaniard’s aid when he had collapsed at the back of the court, weeping, just moments earlier. “I tried to find good words for him at that moment. I say to him, try to be calm. Try to think about his family, his baby,” said Del Potro.
“Sometimes the heart is first more than the tennis match.”
Del Potro, 28, had taken the first set of the second-round clash at Roland Garros 6-3 before Almagro claimed the next by the same score. They were locked at 1-1 in the third when Almagro quit.
Del Potro, playing in Paris for the first time in five years after battling a series of wrist injuries, also suffered an injury scare himself when he pulled up, holding his left leg in the second set.
“It’s not easy for me when you have a friend on the other side of the court showing an injury or crying. It was really a bad moment for both, but I wish all the best to him,” added Del Potro.
The former US Open champion goes on to face world No. 1 Murray, who reached the third round with a bruising 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) win over Martin Klizan of Slovakia.
“I expected a tough match. Martin goes for his shots, he can hit winners with that forehand from anywhere on the court,” said 2016 runner-up Murray.
“I tried to play a solid match, I hit deeper the longer the match went on and tried to dictate the points.”
World No. 50 Klizan had already hit the headlines in Paris by being accused of faking an injury in his opener against French wildcard Laurent Lokoli.
Third seed Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 champion, reached the last 32 for the 10th time with a 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine.
Wawrinka will face Italy’s Fabio Fognini for a place in the fourth round.
Japanese eighth seed Kei Nishikori routed France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-0, 7-6 (5), with the world No. 9 facing South Korean Chung Hye-on for a place in the last 16.
Chung, the 21-year-old world No. 67, followed up his first-round win over 27th seed Sam Querrey with a 6-1, 7-5, 6-1 victory against Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.
Fifth seed Elina Svitolina, a quarterfinalist in 2015 and recent Rome champion, made the third round by beating Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded nine, saw off Belgian qualifier Alison Van Uytvanck 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3 while Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia drubbed Canadian Eugénie Bouchard 6-3, 6-0.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
