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12/8/08 11:09 PM | Ricky Dimon
TennisTalk, throughout the off-season, will recap the ATP's best matches in 2008. Part 6 features Juan Martin Del Potro's third and fourth-round encounters at the U.S. Open.
As late as this July, 20-year-old Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro was a mere afterthought on the ATP Tour. It's hard to believe now, but he was ranked 65th coming out of Wimbledon.
That's when all hell broke loose. Del Potro won four straight tournaments in July and August and did not lose a single match in between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Making it all the more amazing is that he had never won an ATP event previously.
So entering the season's final Grand Slam in New York, Del Potro was arguably the hottest player in tennis. In the third round he met one of the other hottest players around, Gilles Simon. Like Del Potro, Simon was a little-known commodity before exploding this summer and fall. The French won a title in Indianapolis to kick off the U.S. Open Series, reached the semifinals of the Masters Series Canada, and--after the U.S. Open--went on to finish runner-up at the Masters Series Madrid and qualify for the semifinals of the Masters Cup.
Needless to say, the intimate Grandstand was buzzing for this U.S. Open third-round showdown and it lived up to the hype. Del Potro, who had been obliterating everything in his path throughout the preceding two months, needed three hours and 47 minutes to survive Simon 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Simon took everything Del Potro threw at him and sent balls back with alarming power and, as usual, pinpoint accuracy. He even came up with 16 aces (to Del Potro's 10), a rare feat for the counter-puncher. In the end, however, Del Potro had too much game and his forehand caught fire in the fifth set to help the No. 17 seed prevail.
“It was punishing,” Del Potro admitted. “A battle. At the end, neither of us had anything left. One day of rest won't be enough. I need a month.”
Del Potro was right. He didn't get a month and despite crushing Kei Nishikori in the fourth round, he ran out of gas in a much-anticipated quarterfinal clash with eventual runner-up Andy Murray.
Del Potro and Murray had a none-too-friendly encounter at the Masters Series Monte Carlo three months before. It began with Murray accusing Del Potro firing a forehand at his head from point-blank range and not apologizing. It featured a heated exchange during the ensuing changeover in which Del Potro infuriated Murray by insulting the Scot's mom. It ended with Del Potro retiring due to a back injury early in the third set.
With all problems seemingly set aside, Del Potro and Murray produced a thrilling encounter, the only blemish of which was the fact that it did not quite go five sets. Murray outlasted his opponent 7-6(2), 7-6(1), 4-6, 7-5 in a grueling three hours and 58 minutes. Perhaps five sets would have been too much, as both men--especially Del Potro--were struggling physically by the time it concluded.
“I think quite early on the match there was a sort of a feeling of respect between us in terms of our games and stuff,” Murray explained. “There was no arguing over line calls or anyone trying to get in anyone's face.”
“He played an unbelievable match,” Del Potro added. “We played like four hours.”
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