Never in a million years did Juan Martin del Potro think he would reach his first major quarter-final since 2013 in the manor that he did at the US Open.
Facing rising star Dominic Thiem in the the first match on the Arthur Ashe stadium on Monday, many feared for the health of the Argentine after he called for a medical time out for treatment on his shoulder three games into the match. It was an obvious concern for onlookers, but sadly the biggest problem was for Thiem, who had to retire after one-and-a-half sets due to a right knee injury.
Gingerly moving around the court and struggling to reach full speed, the state of the Austrian’s health rapidly deteriorated. Like del Potro, Thiem also received medical treatment in the hope that he could fulfil his fourth round duties. Sadly it wasn’t the case for the eighth seed, who was forced to retire just one point after his treatment.
“It is never good to win a match in this win.” Del Potro said during his on-court interview. “I wish all the best to Dominic, he has a great future. He’s a great competitor and I hope he gets well soon.”
Thiem’s misfortunes in the event are ones that are all too familiar for Del Potro, who had undergone a series of wrist surgeries in recent years. Due to being away from the game for so long, Del Potro has fallen down the rankings and only made it into the main draw with the help of a wild card.
“I really enjoy playing in this stadium, it’s amazing for me. I was really sad at home over the last two years when I got injured and I have been watching this tournament on TV.” The Argentine said.
“Now I’m here and I have the chance to play in the quarter-finals, it is great for me.” He added.
Following the match, Thiem has confirmed that he will undergo an MRI on his knee to establish if there is a problem. He believes that the pain (which started three days ago) was originally caused by how he has been running differently on the court due to suffering from painful blisters on his toes.
As for Del Potro, he faces a showdown against either Stan Wawrinka or Illya Marchenko. If it is Wawrinka, the Argentine has already defeated this Swiss player this year at the Wimbledon championships.
