Juan Martín del Potro

[why so serious?]

vraća se on di je stao a američki hardcourt je njegov bread and butter

očekujem vrlo dobre igre na američkoj turneji

[Goca_64]

očekujem vrlo dobre igre na američkoj turneji

I ja, ali nije zgoreg da izbegnemo Del Pa pre finala, na primer ... i pored mojih evidentnih simpatija za istog

[Gama]

After missing the majority of 2010 with a wrist injury, Juan Martin del Potro is back making an impact on the ATP World Tour, and is playing the summer hard-court swing in North America for the first time since capturing the US Open title in 2009.

Del Potro has seen his ranking rise from No. 494 in January, to his current South African Airways ATP Ranking of 19, and has won two titles this season, in Delray Beach and Estoril.

The 22 year old was leading Andreas Seppi 4-1 on Sunday before the Italian retired from their first-round match at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. ATPWorldTour.com spoke with the Argentine afterwards.

This is just your second appearance in Cincinnati. If you had time away from the court, what would you go do in the area?
Maybe I'd go play golf. It's a nice city to play golf in. The weather is ok. And also, I would go to Kings Island.

Your nickname ‘delPo’ is popular among tennis fans. Can you hear it being shouted in the crowds at large events like this one?
Yeah of course. We hear everything, every word at these tournaments. In Argentina, we have very loud fans. They get excited and I really like playing in front of those types of fans.

If you couldn’t be a tennis player, what career would you pursue?
I was very confused choosing between tennis and architecture when I was younger. But I chose tennis and I'm doing this as my job.

What do you like most about the North American summer hard-court swing?
All the tournaments, especially the US Open.

[Gama]

delpotrojuan
Habia que entrenar de todas formas...que manera de mojarme! jaja Espero les guste, gracias por sus mensajes!!

[Dejan]

THE CHAMPION RETURNS DEUCE Magazine

Spoiler: pokaži

After an impressive comeback year in 2011, Juan Martin del Potro is excited about returning to Flushing Meadows for the first time since his 2009 US Open triumph.

It has been two years since Juan Martin del Potro became the first Argentine to capture the US Open since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 - 24 long months since he conquered Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to become a global star.

Then injury struck.

The memory of a right wrist problem that forced him to undergo surgery in May 2010 remains. Del Potro is still the same person. He hasn't modified his style of play or his entourage, his love for the sport hasn't diminished, but his situation has changed.

The spotlight now illuminates Novak Djokovic's trademark smile, and powerful lights point at Nadal, Federer, Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mardy Fish. Del Potro doesn't mind: he chooses to step back and play a secondary role. He's just happy to be there, his body allowing him to compete at the highest level.

"If it's not this year, it can be the next one, or the other one, just playing the tournament again will be good for me," del Potro tells DEUCE. "The favourites are the Top 4 in the world. We've got a new No. 1 and he's the strong candidate. I believe in my chances, but I'm realistic and I think I'm still a little far from them, even though I'm getting closer day by day. Maybe I can be a surprise this year, too.

"If you want to win a Grand Slam, you have to play your best - at level 10 throughout the two weeks. I don’t know if I’ll be in that condition this year, but I will try."

The tournaments that make up the Olympus US Open Series didn’t end up being the preparation he had hoped for, as he couldn’t win more than two matches in Los Angeles, Montreal and Cincinnati.

Yet just being in New York City, playing tennis, is reward enough. Del Potro is eager to relive his fondest memories in the Big Apple. "I want to be there again," he smiles. "Those were two amazing weeks for me. I’m very excited to go there for the first time since 2009, hopefully those weeks are similar this year."

The Tandil native finds it difficult to choose one special moment from that unforgettable run. "It could be the Arthur Ashe stadium at full capacity. The Argentine flags and fans, the American and Swiss fans, because I was playing Roger, also the locker room with my name… If you win the tournament, you have the name on your locker. I like that."

Federer recently described the 2009 final as "one of the biggest losses of my career. I really think it shouldn’t have gone away." Del Potro found himself down two-sets-to-one, and found the right time to change his attitude. He just tried to relax and enjoy the unique moment.

"That was the most stressful moment in my life...I was close to winning my favourite tournament, to fulfilling my dream"
“I was there in my first Grand Slam final, against the best player in the history of our sport," recalls del Potro. "I had nothing to lose… I tried to enjoy it and the crowd really helped me to keep fighting during the last two sets."

In Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden wrote, "Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are."

As he was approaching the epilogue of the fifth set, tension came back to del Potro’s body. He served on match point, within seconds of his first Grand Slam title.

"That was the most stressful moment in my life," del Potro recalls. "I was close to winning my favourite tournament, to fulfilling my dream. It was a difficult moment, but an amazing one." He held his nerve, won the point and sank to the ground in celebration.

It was the pinnacle of his career so far and the continuation of a love affair with hard courts that dates back to his childhood, when his mother, Patricia, recalls delPo - whose nickname at that time was 'Palito,' or 'tiny stick' - hit against the walls of rooms at home: a fast indoor surface that wasn’t built for that purpose; threatening flower vases, paintings, furniture, and even human beings.

Marcelo Gomez, Tandil's tennis guru, who had helped Mariano Zabaleta, Juan Monaco and a handful of other pro players from the small mountainous city, remembers del Potro's mother saying, on her son's first visit to the club, "He wants to use every wall to hit the ball against!"

Del Potro's affability and low-profile attitude, together with his powerful game and youth, certainly allowed him to become the second-best endorsed sportsman in Argentina behind Barcelona's football star Lionel Messi. Nike contracted him when he was 15, and he plays with Wilson, wears Rolex watches, and also has VISA, Powerade and Sony Ericsson as sponsors.

"We find he’s the ideal athlete to sponsor," says Rodolfo Masera, Head of Marketing at VISA Argentina. "Not only because of his talent and die-hard attitude, but he also has values such as respect, ethics, grit, love for his country and the attitude to fight with loyalty and overcome adversity. In general terms, he represents good sportsmanship and he’s an example for youth and for all Argentines."

"I might stay at the same hotel, maybe the same room as in 2009"
This season del Potro has returned to life, rising from World No. 485 to No. 18 in the space of seven months on the back of titles at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships and the Estoril Open.

Rod Laver, the 1962 and 1969 Grand Slam champion, is thrilled. "I like him a lot and it’s wonderful he could come back from that wrist injury," the Australian tells DEUCE. "He hits the ball harder than any other on tour. Listen, if you are a giant like him, you have to do that, you must hit missiles. His serve is huge, the second bounces really high and makes the return so difficult. He's a great fighter under pressure and that’s something that amazes me. In that sense, he has the mark of the champions."

Pete Sampras had time to chat with del Potro at the tournament in Los Angeles and added to Laver's comments. "I am a big proponent of his game," he told The LA Times. "He has a murder serve and I like the fact he hits a pretty flat ball. That’s not easy for a guy of his height. I also like his big attitude and part of it is that he’s willing to take chances. In that way he’s a little like Federer. Roger will go for big shots and he’s willing to miss, but the makes can be incredible. DelPo is the same way."

Praise from highly qualified tennis names is welcomed with a smile, but it won't deviate del Potro from the path of humility. His soft voice will tell that this year's US Open might not be his time to shine, but at least it's worth giving it a try.

He may even observe the same rituals on his return to Flushing Meadows. "I might stay at the same hotel, maybe the same room as in 2009," he says. "I might have dinner at the same restaurant, but it all depends on my level and my game on court."

His cheerful friendliness, the comeback story after an injury lay-off, will fill the column inches in the build-up to the final Grand Slam championship of the season, yet it is his drive to become a better player that has earned him the admiration of his followers.

Former No. 1 player Jim Courier, the 1991 US Open runner-up, confesses, "He’s seen in America as a bit of a gentle giant. He’s big and the game he plays is fierce, but it doesn’t come across to people that he’s scary. They feel he’s approachable, a good person and he plays fair tennis, so that’s why I think he’s one of the crowd’s favourites.

"Juan Martin is one of the biggest challengers for No. 1 if he's healthy"
"It was a real shame when he got injured after he developed that momentum, winning the US Open and really showing that he can handle the top players with his power, size, game, and also having the nerve to win the big points against the big players. Sometimes you can have the skills but you don’t have the head and the heart to do it. He has all the components and it’s good to see him building his confidence in his game. Juan Martin is one of the biggest challengers for No. 1 if he’s healthy."

Neil Harman, tennis correspondent of The Times of London, agrees with Courier's analysis. "When you think about very big people, there’s certain vulnerability they carry, too. Isner has it, Karlovic, and del Potro as well: people find a sense of gentle-giant element to his game. I think that’s part of what makes him so popular with the crowds.

"He’s coming back from that terrible injury that he’s had, people sense that vulnerability even more and are more willing to get behind him, and that’s certainly been the case in the United States."

On the eve of the US Open, when a deep run would not only benefit del Potro and his sponsors, but also his family, the World No. 18 says, "I’m used to travelling with my coaches and manager, and my family and friends follow me on TV. But this time, if I’m doing a good tournament, I’ll invite some friends to join me."

If you don’t know them, you’ll hear them. They won’t stay unnoticed. Just wait till you hear them cheer and sing as if it were a football match. Only between points, of course. For del Potro it will mean one thing. He is a major contender again.

[Gama]

Del Potro US Open 2011 Interview Day 5 - Second Round

Q. Were you comfortable with being the first match of the day, or do you prefer to play a little later?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: The grandstand is a beautiful stadium. We are pretty close to the fans and we can hear every words from there. I don't mind play first, second, just hopefully for the next match play later, because today was really hot. Change a little bit if you play from 4:00 p.m. to the night and if you play early. But I don't care.

Q. Would you enjoy or like to get a night match early in the tournament? Would you like playing at night?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, I think I never play at night, night match here. Would be nice, but I think I should win more matches to do that.

Q. How many matches do you think you have to win because you're a former champion here to deserve or be given a night stage?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I don't know, but they have Federer, Djokovic. I'm in the second part of the draw, so I play same day like Nadal, Murray, Roddick, and they are fantastic players to play at night. So I think they are doing a good schedule.

Q. How do you assess the way you played today? Are you content?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yes, I'm glad. I played better than my first round. I was more confidence with my, forehand especially in the beginning of the match, and always is important go through. So doesn't matter if you play good or not the first round if you win. Now I'm in the third one, so I need to improve, I need to be more confidence with my serves and forehands if I want to beat Simon or Garcia.

Q. When you came in the other day after the first match, you were talking just a little bit about the emotions of being back here, but you didn't really want to project too much in terms of how far you felt that you could go. You spoke about confidence. Do you feel more confident now with the second match under your belt and the way you played today? Are you starting to feel that maybe you could go quite deep into the tournament?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I don't know. Win a match, it's important to get confidence. I play a lefty today, and my next round is against Simon. He's very fast and we play here in 2009 five set match, and he win fourth set or third set, but very, very close. And Garcia is a fighter, too. I need just be focused with my serve, because that help me a lot to make a short point and to don't run too much. But if you keep winning, you will be more confidence with yourself and with your game, too.

[georgina]

delpo danas puni 23 godine.

srecno mu bilo

[Dejan]

[Gama]

Mora da je divan osecaj pomoci konkretno nekoj osobi. Bravo Delpo!

[Gama]

I Delpo sada ima FB
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Juan-Mart%C3%ADn-del-Potro/245291448857687

[Gama]

Juan Martín del Potro
I also wanted to share this video with all my fans from around the world. Thanking my fans, family, friends, team and sponsors for all the love and support that you showed during the year. It had a difficult start but a great ending. Here is the English subtitled version. Thanks!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Juan-Mart%C3%ADn-del-Potro/245291448857687

[Dejan]

@delpotrojuan
juan del potro
Friends, I'll play tonight a match against the GREAT Guga Kuerten in the exhibition of Punta del Este. Later I´ll send some pictures.

[Gama]

Del Potro won't play Davis Cup vs. Germany

Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro has decided not to play for the 2011 Davis Cup finalists in their first-round tie at Germany in February, La Nacion reports. Germany will hold the tie in Bamberg from Feb. 10-12 on an indoor clay court.

Del Potro's coach Franco Davin said their decision was based on the demands of the calendar and that he does not want the 23-year-old to make the fast transition from Australian hard courts to indoor clay, then back to European indoor hard courts. "It was a tough decision but we took it evaluating a lot of things. Germany chose that (slow) surface knowing it would be very difficult for Del Potro," Davin said. "(Germany's captain Patrick) Kuehnen was at the final in Seville and he thought it through well. Juan's physical condition is fundamental. To play on clay and the next day be competing on cement is a very high risk, even more so because afterward we have a calendar of seven weeks in a row, from Rotterdam to Miami."

Argentina has never won the Davis Cup, but if it beats Germany it would play the rest of its matches at home

[Gama]

Juan Martin del Potro feels he is close to his best form, but says Djokovic, Nadal and Federer will be the players to beat at the Australian Open.
A Endi, Delpo?

[Dejan]

Endi će sam sebe da pobedi