Del Potro Excited To Create More US Open Memories
Del Potro Excited To Create More US Open Memories
For Juan Martin del Potro, naming his favourite US Open memory can be a tough task. In 2009, the Argentine ended Roger Federer’s 41-match win streak in New York to win his maiden Grand Slam title.
Last year, Del Potro, down two sets to zero and battling a flu and a fever, came back to beat Dominic Thiem 1-6, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(1), 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals. Then Del Potro knocked out Federer again to reach the last four in New York for only the second time (l. to Nadal).
“It was a great battle,” Del Potro said of last year’s Thiem match. “I have a few good memories playing this tournament. One is that match. Then when I obviously won the title in 2009. But every year is different. I have friends coming to watch me here, so will be a little bit special this tournament for me, and what I said, I will try to enjoy the atmosphere that the people create in New York and then play my best tennis.”
Del Potro will try to create more memories during his 10th US Open, nine years after his his first and still only Grand Slam title. His wrist surgeries that hampered him years ago are a thing of the past, though, and Del Potro is eager for another deep run in Flushing Meadows.
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“I’m feeling good. I’m in good shape. As everybody knows, this is my favourite tournament on tour, which I have big expectations playing in New York. I’m very excited to start of the tournament, and on Monday will be against a qualifier player, but I will try to enjoy as always I did in this tournament and then see if I can go far,” he said.
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“I think it’s amazing for me just thinking about tennis, don’t talk anymore about the injuries, which is the most important thing to myself and come to this tournament thinking about my highest ranking or my big expectations playing the tournament. It’s the best thing I could feel before a tournament.”
Del Potro enters the season’s final Grand Slam tournament at a career-high No. 3 in the ATP Rankings. He won his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Open in March, beating Federer for the seventh time in 25 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings (Federer leads 18-7). The Argentine captured the ATP World Tour 500-level title in Acapulco a week earlier.