Juan Martin Del Potro beats Viktor Troicki in the third round – Western and Southern Open 2012
Sixth seed, Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, moved one step closer to winning his third title on the ATP World Tour in this season, as he defeated Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in three sets 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-1 in the third round of
the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Thursday.
The opening set saw both players going back and forth till the end. Del Potro nailed a break in the very first game of the match to move ahead 1-0 but he lost the following three, going down 1-3. The Argentinean star struck back
in the sixth to even out the score at 3-3. Troicki hit a blow again in the eighth game to attain a 5-3 lead but he could not serve out the set, losing subsequent two and levelling the score at 5-5. Del Potro and Troicki succeeded in holding their next two
serves to take it to 6-6 and force a tie-breaker. The Argentinean contender played brilliantly afterwards to seal it 7-6(2).
After losing the opening set with the closest of margins, Troicki made an ideal start in the second, as he hit a blow to Del Potro in the very first game and consolidated on it to take a 2-0 lead. The Serbian contender participant
grabbed another breakthrough in the seventh and capitalised on the double advantage to triumph 6-2.
Del Potro did not get de motivated and responded like a true fighter. The Argentinean came roaring in the decider, as he captured opening three games to race to a 3-0 lead. Troicki succeeded in holding his serve in the fourth to
reduce the deficit to 1-3 but he dropped three more later on to lose it 1-6.
The Argentinean hit a total of four aces and 65 percent of the first serves, winning 40 of the 59 points on them in the match. The 6ft 6in tall gave a below average performance on the second deliveries and first returns. Nevertheless,
the right-hander balanced that by giving a good showing on the second replies, claiming 26 of the 38 points on them. The Tandil, Argentina resident utilised four of the nine break opportunities he created.
Del Potro required two hours and 16 minutes to earn a hard fought win over his Serbian opponent.
The Argentinean player, who won Bronze Medal at the London Olympics three weeks back, will face French contender, Jeremy Chardy, at the last-eight stage.
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