Life is good for Juan Martin Del Potro these days. He is coming off the second biggest title of his career–first at the Masters 1000 level–and is now set to play what might as well be a home tournament for him.
Five days after saving three championship points and outlasting Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2) in the Indian Wells final, Del Potro will begin his Miami Open campaign on Friday against Robin Haase.
“It was an epic match,” Del Potro said of last Sunday’s thriller, which propelled him to a 4-2 lifetime record against Federer in finals despite still trailing the overall head-to-head series 18-7. “The level of tennis was very high. The people love to see this kind of tennis, and also the passion both players shows on the finals was great to see. “To me, beating Roger in another final, having a positive record against him in finals, is good. And also to get my first title playing a 1000 Masters in Indian Wells–a place I like to play that makes me feel special…. I’m excited to keep enjoying these days here in Miami with all my people. I’m excited to keep playing good tennis here.”
For the sixth-ranked Argentine, his time in between the two Masters 1000 tournaments has been high on rest and recovery and short on celebration.
“We just [had] dinner with all my team,” Del Potro said when asked how he celebrated upon arriving in Miami. “We took some drinks, and that was enough for me because I was exhausted and we [traveled] almost five hours to get here. My body feels all the matches [after Indian Wells], so I need to recover myself to be ready for this tournament, and then I will have time to make a break and celebrate with family and friends (after Miami).”
It’s back to business at the moment for the 2009 U.S. Open champion, who practiced with Kei Nishikori on Wednesday and with Pablo Carreno Busta on Thursday in advance of a second-round match against Haase on Friday. While Del Potro earned an opening bye as the No. 5 seed, Haase booked his spot in last 64 by beating Yuichi Sugita 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 on Wednesday.
The head-to-head series stands at 4-0 in favor of Del Potro, who is 9-1 in total sets against the Dutchman and has won eight in a row since dropping the second frame of their 2012 Wimbledon encounter, which Del Potro ended up winning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5. The two veterans faced each other twice in 2017, when the 29-year-old cruised 6-2, 6-4–also in the Miami second round–and 7-5, 6-4 on the indoor hard courts of Paris.
As their Miami result suggests, this is an especially tough task for Haase given that a red-hot Del Potro basically has home-court advantage.
“I like the tournament,” the owner of 22 career ATP titles assured. “It’s very easy to me, because I am staying very close to the stadium. I like to see Argentinian fans around the courts, Latino-American people also. I will miss this tournament playing on Key Biscayne next year…. I also walk around the streets every day. I like to go to the supermarket and I meet fans there, too. Miami has a big Argentinian society living here in Miami, so I meet them everywhere.”
Perhaps even too big of an Argentinian society–at least too big for the Grandstand. In a 2011 second-round contest between Del Potro and Philipp Kohlschreiber, some of the bleachers on Miami’s second show-court almost collapsed due to an overflow of fans who crammed into aisles with no more seats available. That sent the more cautious of tennis aficionados heading for the exits, although countless Del Potro die-hards remained to see their man edge Kohlschreiber 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5.
But there will be no such problems this year. Del Potro will play Haase–and every other match thereafter–in the main stadium. An Indian Wells champion, world No. 6, and Argentine favorite is never going to play anywhere else in Miami.
[polldaddy poll=9966001]
Sunshine Double?
Maybe. But Roger has his usual cushy draw.