Juan Martin Del Potro’s latest comeback–this one after a two-month absence–ended soon after it began on Thursday at the Miami Open. But it hardly came as it a surprise, nor was it a real disappointment. It was moral victory, in fact, in Del Potro’s eyes.
The former world No. 4, who missed almost all of 2014 due to left wrist surgery, was competitive from start to finish against Vasek Pospisil but ultimately went down 6-4, 7-6(7). Del Potro had plenty of chances in each set. He could not convert a 0-40 opportunity in the opener, failed to serve out the second at 5-4, and double-faulted on his own set point in the ensuing tiebreaker.
“I have to take the positive things on my comeback,” the Argentine commented. “I think I just played another official match after one year, and it’s a good signal for the future. It doesn’t matter, the score, for now. I don’t have any physical problem after the match, and I will be recovering soon for the future.”
“I was enjoying it,” Pospisil said of playing in the stadium in front of a packed house. “It was like a Davis Cup atmosphere, and I was playing away. For sure playing Davis Cup the last three or four years (helped). I took positive energy from the atmosphere…. Given the circumstances I thought I played a great match.”
As for Del Potro, he showed plenty of rust–as can obviously be expected. But he won’t be discouraged by the loss, because just being out there was a proverbial win.
“I got depressed for a while in the past,” he admitted. “In the end, I want to play tennis. If I have to learn a different backhand to keep playing, I will do it.”
Another injury-plagued fan favorite who should be good to go for some tennis this fortnight is Rafael Nadal, who turned an ankle during practice on Monday. He has been practicing in full flight the past few days, however–most recently with Tommy Robredo.
Outside the stadium, winners included Mikhail Youzhny and Borna Coric. Youzhny held off Andrey Golubev in three sets and Coric outlasted Andreas Haider-Maurer in a third-set tiebreaker after getting breadsticked in the first set. That was a rematch of an Indian Wells opening-rounder, won by Coric 6-4, 6-4.
In doubles, Jo-Wilfried and Gael Monfils lost in a super-tiebreaker after winning the first set. Ernests Gulbis and Andre Begemann somehow won their match from a set down after losing the first five games in a mere 11 minutes. They turned things around–drastically–to upset Pablo Cuevas and David Marrero.
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