Del Potro undoes defending champion Ivan Ljubicic at the 2011 BNP Paribas Open
World Number 90 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina managed to oust Croatian Ivan Ljubicic in three difficult sets at the second round of the 2011 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells event, upsetting the defending champion in two hours and forty minutes. Ljubicic, who is ranked World Number 16 at the moment, joined the tournament as a seeded player due to his high ranking.
However, former World Number 4 Juan Martin Del Potro seemed determined to further his winning streak at Indian Wells. The player has made tremendous efforts to return to form over the past few months, and his effort began paying off last month when he won the ATP World Tour 250 title at Delray Beach. He also managed to reach the semi-finals at both Memphis and San Jose, before deciding to take part in his first Masters tournament since 2009.
The player, who was forced to put his tennis career on the hold for eight months after a wrist injury, faced a tough match against Ljubicic. He used his powerful serve and forehand to score eight aces and challenged his opponent to three successfully converted break points. His performance was only enhanced by the fact that Ljubicic was still recovering from an ankle injury sustained in Dubai.
Ivan Ljubicic is the first Indian Wells champion since Roger Federer to lose a BNP Paribas Open campaign in the first match of the event. He gave full credit to Del Potro, saying, “he’s a great player, and it was a great match, I think. It was great entertainment for the crowd. We has some great points. I came up short in the end.”
At the same time, Del Potro seemed to be very encouraged by his victory. The Argentine pro says, “I think I’m playing much better. I improved my forehand, my serve, my physical, everything. It’s easier when you win a match. You can improve very fast if you still play and keep winning.”
The 22-year-old player, who wowed crowds with his US Open victory in 2009, seems to be cheerful about his return to form. He commented on his progress over the past year, saying, “I need time to improve again, to work hard. Maybe in a couple of months, maybe next year, I will be ready for play against all of the players.”
While Ljubicic is sent packing, Del Potro will return to the courts of California against Ukraine’s World Number 23 Alexandr Dolgopolov in the third round of the tournament. Dolgopolov is seeded 20th at the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, and defeated Romanian pro Victor Hanescu in straight sets to set up the third-round match against Del Potro. The two players have never competed against each other before.
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