Tennis special edition: What next for Juan Martin Del Potro in 2011?
Much was expected from the Argentinean tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro in 2010 after he registered his name as a major winner at 20 years of age with his five setter victory over five time defending champion Roger Federer at the United States Open in
New York.
After ending the 2009 year with a finalist performance at elite eight man field in London and a World number five year end finish, the right hander seemed all set to become the chief threat to the ATP’s top four players namely Djokovic, Federer, Murray and
Nadal.
However, contrary to every one’s expectations, his 2010 year proved highly anticlimactic. The Tandil native, who made his debut on the ATP tour back in 2005, entered the Australian Open with a wrist injury and couldn’t go beyond the round four.
The 22-year-old then pulled out from his next few competitions before going for surgery back in May. He made a comeback on the tour few months later in September at the PTT Thailand Open in Bangkok, where he was bundled out of his opening match at the hands
of Olivier Rochus.
“The most important thing for today is my wrist, and it is perfect. I have decided to end my 2010 season in order to train hard for two months and start 2011 in top shape,” said Potro after his early round exit in Bangkok.
As he starts 2011, the 1.98 meters tall will be hoping to recover the form that once took him into the top five in the South African Airways ATP list. The professional tennis player from Argentine is currently ranked number 257 in the world which is his
lowest ranking in more than five years on the tour. He will definitely be hoping to win his first match in almost a year when he launches his return in Melbourne.
The first few months of the season could provide a good indication of whether the former world number four has completely recovered from his injury and can once again challenge the tour’s top players or not.
Apart from the year’s opening Grand Slam, Del Potro has also confirmed his participation in a couple of ATP World Tour 250 competitions, such as the Medibank International Sydney as well as the United States hard court events in February at San Jose and
Delray Beach.
While commenting on his game in 2011, the Tandil born reflected, “I need to work hard to get back into the top ten. Of course I would love to be back there soon.”
The good news for Del Porto is that he only has 180 points to defend next year. By picking up his second major crown at the Australian Open in Melbourne, the professional tennis player from Argentine could skyrocket into the top twenty.
He will be joined on the comeback trail by two other former top ten contenders on the tour namely Fernando Gonzalez and Tommy Haas. The 32-year-old Haas, who achieved his career high ranking of number two back in 2002, took part in only four competitions
in 2010 before undergoing hip surgery back in February. Former world number five Fernando, on the other hand, was absent from the ATP tour for three months in 2010 due to his knee injury and will make a comeback in Melbourne to start the season on a high.
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