This year’s Olympic finalist and 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro bounced back from a slow start to beat David Ferrer 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 6-3 in 2 hours and 24 minutes to reach the second week at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since Wimbledon 2013. The “Tower of Tandil” has not dropped a set in this year’s tournament so far.
Del Potro got an early break at the start of the match but Ferrer broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. The Spanish player went up a break in the sixth game to race out to a 5-2 lead but Del Potro won three consecutive games with a break-back in the ninth game to draw level to 5-5. Del Potro clinched the tie-break without dropping a point on his game
The former US Open champion converted the first of his three break points to take a 4-2 lead in the second set. Ferrer was broken in the eighth game as he was serving at 3-4 15-40, as Del Potro hit an overhead winner.
Del Potro hit a forehand winner to serve out the match in two hours and 21 minutes. He won 81 percent of his first serve points.
By reaching the fourth round Del Potro will move up from Number 142 to 103 n the ATP Ranking.
Del Potro will face Dominic Thiem who rallied from one set down to beat Pablo Carreno Busta 1-6 6-4 6-4 7-5.
“It’s tough to describe this moment for me. After my surgery, I was really close to quitting tennis. Now I am playing again and I am doing it at home. The crowd and the atmosphere were incredible”, said Del Potro.
