Juan Martin Del Potro downs Gilles Simon in the third round – Wimbledon Championships 2011
World number 21 Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina dismissed world number 16 Gilles Simon of France in straight sets 7-6(8), 7-6(5), 7-5 in the round of 32 of Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club in London on Saturday.
The Argentinean took two hours and 46 minutes to beat his opponent in a tough contest.
Del Potro and Simon were unable to create a single break point opportunity in the first set, levelling the score at 6-6 and taking it to a tie-break. The Argentine bagged a late mini-break in a marathon tie-break, clinching it
10-8.
The right-handed delivered 66 percent of the first serves and three aces in the first set. Del Potro smashed fifteen winners and converted 81 percent of the first serves into points in the opening set. The Argentinean claimed eleven
of the fifteen net approach points in the first set.
Simon came back as he broke the Argentinean in the third game of the second set and held his next service game to take a 3-1 lead. Del Potro played brilliantly to break back in the eighth game and tied the score at 4-4. Simon and
Del Potro took the second set to a tie-break too. This time again, it was the Argentinean who clinched a mini-break to win it 7-5.
Del Potro hit five aces and eighteen winners in the second set. The Argentinean returned very well, claiming 42 percent of the return points. Both players capitalised on one of the three break points they received in the second
set.
In the third set, the Argentinean and Simon won their serve in the first ten games to equalise the score at 5-5. Del Potro broke the French in the eleventh game and consolidated on it to grab the set 7-5.
The Argentinean delivered 72 percent of the first serves and four aces in the third set. The six feet and six inches tall captured an incredible 90 percent of the first service points and five of the six net approach points in
the third set.
The 2009 US Open champion will take on defending champion and world number 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain in the fourth round.
The Spaniard said, commenting on Del Potro, "He's a very, very tough opponent. One of the best players of the world. He had an important injury last year... His ranking for sure is much better than what the ranking says today. His
level is much better than what the ranking says today."
Del Potro and Nadal will face each other for the ninth time. The Spaniard leads Del Potro 5-3 in the head-to-head series.
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