Juan Martin Del Potro prevails over Tommy Haas in the second round – Western & Southern Open 2012
Sixth seed, Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, defeated Germany’s comeback hero, Tommy Haas, in straight sets 7-5, 6-2 in the second round of Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday. The Argentinean player required
one hour and 37 minutes to undo the former world number two.
Del Potro and Haas won their first serves to take the score to 1-1. The Argentinean contender nailed a break in the third to move ahead 2-1 but he could not consolidate on it, evening out the proceedings at 2-2. The subsequent
six games went with the serves, with the score getting tied at 5-5. Del Potro allowed his German opponent to win only one point in the next two, capturing it 7-5.
The 6ft 6in tall bombarded seven aces and committed three double faults in the opening set. In comparison, Haas managed to hit five aces but he also made four double faults. The German contestant succeeded in putting in just 39
percent of the first serves, sealing 10 of the 15 points on them.
Both players held their serve in the first four games of the second set to equalise the score at 2-2. It was an all Del Potro show after that, as he grabbed four in a row to triumph 6-2.
The Argentinean looked helpless on Haas’ first serves, losing all the nine points on them but compensated by clinching eight of the 11 on the second ones. The 23-year-old was able to save the one break point he faced and converted
both he received in the second set.
Del Potro became the first player from his country to win a singles medal at Olympics two weeks back, when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the Bronze Medal match of the London Games.
Sharing his feelings, Del Potro said, “Well, the Grand Slam are the biggest tournaments for us. But the Olympics was special moments for me and for the rest of the players. Win a medal in London was big like win the US Open. Maybe
less or more, but in that level, you know, and for the country means too big, you know. The medals, I was the first one for Argentina. I am the only player who win a medal in singles for Argentina, so that’s mean many big things for me.”
The 2009 US Open champion will take on Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in the third round.
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