Del Potro Makes Winning Return

Former champion Juan Martin del Potro has made a triumphant return to Flushing Meadows in his first match in New York since 2013. In an all-Argentine battle, del Potro – the 2009 US Open champion – posted a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3) first-round result over Diego Schwartzman on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The 27 year old had not played at Flushing Meadows since falling in five sets to fellow former champion Lleyton Hewitt in the second round three years ago. He had undergone three surgeries on his left wrist since, having already endured a right wrist operation, which ruled him out of defending his US Open title in 2010.

Del Potro closed out the first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against his countryman with an ace, his 11^th of the match. He finished with 34 winners and 48 unforced errors to his opponent’s 28 winners and 38 unforced errors and broke five times.

A wild card outside the Top 100 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, del Potro awaits the winner of American No. 19 seed Steve Johnson and Russian Evgeny Donskoy.