John Isner didn’t shy away from showing his appreciation to Juan Martin Del Potro following his 7-6(2), 6-1, win in the first round of the Aegon Championships.
Seeded seventh at Aegon Championships, Isner was pushed all the way by former US Open champion Del Potro. The world No.17 fended off a total of six break points within two service games to maintain the advantage in the match. Nevertheless, the 6-foot-10 player was able to close the proceedings in straight sets by capitalising on some errors coming from across the court as well as producing 25 aces.
Towards the end of the match Del Potro suffered a duo of on-court slips, but fortunately managed to resume play. Those slips handed a huge advantage to Isner, who was able to dictate points against his increasingly cautious opponent. In typical Isner fashion, he clinched the victory with an ace.
“At the beginning of the match, it was pretty slippery, especially for me,” Isner said about the conditions.
“I haven’t practiced on the grass that much since I arrive because of the rain. It was a little bit difficult as far as it goes.”
“As the match progressed, I started to feel a lot more comfortable out there.”
The encounter between Isner and Del Potro was their first since 2013. Following his win at the Queen’s club, the 31-year-old spoke highly about the hugely popular Del Potro. This week is the Argentine’s seventh tournament since returning to the tour after a 10-month hiatus due to a wrist injury.
“I don’t know if he is 100% healthy right now, but tennis definitely needs him in the game. He is one of the most popular players without a doubt.” He told ubitennis.net.
Del Potro’s popularity is well known. Whether he plays in Buenos Aires, Madrid or London, the Argentine has been always a crowd favourite. His Twitter account currently has 2.32 million followers (three times more that Stan Wawrinka) and on Facebook he has over 1.76 million likes. It is without a doubt that the former grand slam champion is a prominent figure in tennis, but what is it that makes him so likeable?
“I don’t know. He just is. He’s pretty affable,” Isner told ubitennis about the reason for Del Potro’s popularity.
“He’s just a good guy. He’s so laid back. Everyone in the locker room likes him. He’s just a big chill dude and doesn’t seem to have a worry in the world.”
In light of the match-fixing and doping scandals tainting tennis this year, the Del Potro return is one of the happier highlights for the sport. He is certainly a figure to look up to, or in 6-foot-10 Inser’s case, look down to.
“I’m older than him, so I don’t look up to him in that sense,” the American replied.
“It’s someone that I have the utmost respect for considering he pretty much reached the top of the game and has been out for so long since then.”
Isner might of won the first round encounter, but it has done little to dent the seemingly flawless image of Juan Martin del Potro.
