Tennis News: Juan Martin Del Potro to play as the top seed in the Farmers Classic next month
2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina will headline the players’ field in the Farmers Classic presented by Mercedes-Benz next month. The tournament will be played at the hard courts of Los Angeles Tennis Center
on the campus of UCLA from 25-31 July.
World number 27, Del Potro, won the Farmers Classic in 2008, when he defeated Andy Roddick of the United States in the final to win his first ever hard-court championship title. Del Potro has won nine ATP (Association of Tennis
Professionals) titles in his career and six of them have come on hard surface.
“I really look forward to returning to the Farmers Classic and Los Angeles this summer where I won my first major American event,” Del Potro expressed. “My tremendous early success and victory over Andy Roddick really helped me
launch my run to the world's Top 10. I have many great memories of the Farmers Classic fans, UCLA Tennis Center, and the beautiful city of Los Angeles.”
Del Potro’s persistent wrist injury had been troubling him since last year, forcing him to miss most of the ATP World Tour in the previous season. However, the Argentine made a tremendous comeback to professional tennis this year.
The hard-hitting Argentine has bagged two championship titles in 2011 so far, the first one at Delray Beach and the other at Estoril, to get back his vintage form. His world rankings fell to almost number 500 during his absence
from the tennis court but the determined Del Potro has powered his way back to the 27thspot this season. The Argentine has already won 27 matches this year, while losing just six matchups, to run the third-best record in 2011.
The former world number four is reckoned to be one of the craftiest player in the game of tennis, with exceptional power hitting skills. Del Potro is the only player besides the top three men (Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger
Federer) to win a Grand Slam event since 2005.
The tournament director of Farmer Classic, Bob Kramer, is extremely delighted on Del Potro’s inclusion in the ATP event and believes that he is the hot favourite for winning the championship at Los Angeles.
The Farmers Classic once again will benefit the Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA), as the tournament raised more than $500,000 for the SCTA and other charitable organisations last year.
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