Delpo Advances To Second US Open Final

  • Posted: Sep 07, 2018

Delpo Advances To Second US Open Final

Sep072018

The 2009 champion will face Djokovic or Nishikori

Juan Martin del Potro is moving into his second Grand Slam final. After the 2009 champion took the first two sets 7-6(3), 6-2, World No. 1 Rafael Nadal retired after experiencing knee soreness.

Nine years ago, the Argentine captured his first Grand Slam title here in Flushing Meadows. But four wrist surgeries would send him as low as No. 1,045 in the ATP Rankings in February of 2016. Now, the ‘Tower of Tandil’ is arguably better than ever, at a career-best No. 3 and trying to come full circle where he first broke through nearly a decade ago.

Del Potro owns more wins against the top player in the ATP Rankings than anyone else who has not held the spot with 10. He has three more than Michael Chang and Richard Krajicek, who are second on the list with seven victories against a World No. 1 apiece. 

While leading 4-3, Nadal got his right knee taped, before later ripping it off and getting it taped again early in the second set. But after the Argentine blasted a forehand winner to close out the second set — his 29th winner of the match — Nadal could not continue. 

The 32-year-old still holds a tremendous 24-5 record in major semi-finals overall. Nadal has won 11 of the pair’s 17 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, including five of seven at Slams. The duo has met at four of the past five majors, including this US Open. 

It was tough to expect back-to-back breaks right out of the gate, but that’s exactly what happened, as both players made a series of uncharacteristic errors to lose their service games.

But then the competitors raised their levels, with both men going after their forehands more. Del Potro broke and held two set points at 5-4, but could not convert. Yet with the momentum seemingly on the top seed’s side, Del Potro was too strong from the baseline in the tie-break.

Del Potro is known to have one of if not the most dangerous forehand in tennis, but he was also plenty aggressive off his backhand wing. The Argentine developed a knifing slice after his wrist injury, but he hit through the ball quite a bit off that wing on Friday, striking a couple of massive passing shots for winners. He also did a good job using the wide serve in an attempt to open the court for an aggressive second shot in front of a crowd that included Alec Baldwin and Chevy Chase. 

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