Del Potro Impressive In Nishikori Win; Now For Djokovic

Juan Martin del Potro had the marble statues surrounding Stadio Pietrangeli reverberating on Thursday evening as the former World No. 4 outclassed seventh seed Kei Nishikori 7-6(4), 6-3, on one of the most picturesque courts in world tennis, at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

It was the Argentinean’s first victory on clay courts over a Top 10 opponent in the Emirates ATP Rankings since 2012 Roland Garros, when he beat then-No. 7-ranked Tomas Berdych in the fourth round. He is now also 1-4 this year against the elite performers.

Del Potro had the support of the majority of the 3,500-strong crowd to stride into the quarter-finals for the first time in eight years, where he will meet World No. 2 Novak Djokovic for the third time this year. Although Djokovic won their two clashes in 2017 at the BNP Paribas Open and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, memories of their thrilling three-setter in Acapulco will mean Friday’s clash is a must-see.

Del Potro got off to the best possible start, but Nishikori fought back in a tense first-set, which was decided on a tie-break. He broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set, then narrowly failed to convert his first match point on Nishikori’s serve at 2-5, Ad-out, with a running forehand down the tramline. But del Potro closed out to love with an ace, in the next game, to complete the one-hour, 54-minute encounter.

Del Potro lost to Djokovic in the 2009 semi-finals, while Nishikori was forced to withdraw ahead of last week’s Mutua Madrid Open quarter-finals, where he would have met Djokovic, due to right wrist pain.

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