By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, March 26, 2015
Vasek Pospisil saved two set points in the tie break to spoil Juan Martin del Potro's comeback match with a 6-4, 7-6 (7) victory in Miami.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy (@tennis_shots)
Pacing behind the baseline during a tight second set, Juan Martin del Potro shook his surgically-repaired left wrist. Heads immediately swiveled at the gesture.
Playing his first match since the Syndey quarterfinals last January, del Potro's actions between points generated almost as much scrutiny as his form during points.
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The 2009 U.S. Open champion got a warm welcome from Crandon Park fans eager to see him shake an injury-plagued lost season and make a fresh start in south Florida, where he's been training recently.
While del Potro showed flashes of his signature forehand, he couldn't shake the rust from his game, the restraint in his backhand or a resilient Vasek Pospisil.
Pospisil rallied from a break down in the second set, then saved two set points in the tie break to spoil del Potro's return with a 6-4, 7-6 (7) victory. The win propelled Pospisil into a Miami Open second-round match with No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov.
Given the fact the wrist injury limited him to four tournaments in 2014, del Potro viewed the mere act of competing as a victory of sorts, but was disappointed he did not convert set points.
"First, I don't feel frustrated. No. I have to take the positive things on my comeback," del Potro told the media in his post-match press conference. "I think just play another official match after one year, it's a good signal for the future. It doesn't matter the score for now. Obviously down there I wanted to win the match, and I had few chances in the first set; then in the second set I know I have set points, but I couldn't close the set because I had easy efforts and easy mistakes. I didn't serve well in the special moments, which is tough for me with all of these things. But now I'm okay. I don't have any physical problem after the match."
Pospisil's two-handed backhand is one of his best weapons and he wasted no time attacking del Potro's wounded backhand wing.
"Whether he had pain or not, you know, it's obviously not the same backhand that he normally plays," Pospisil said afterward. "I tried to take advantage of that by coming in and putting pressure on that side."
As expected, signs of rust were as clear as the red Nike headband wrapped around the 26-year-old Argentine's forehead.
Holding two set points at 6-5 in the tie break, he buried a double fault into the middle of the net on the first. Del Potro was reluctant to hit the two-handed topspin backhand. Even on a few passing shots, he sometimes opted to play the one-handed slice rather than hit his two-handed topspin backhand.
Del Potro conceded his comeback from two wrist surgeries in the last year combined with the fact he's only recently begun hitting his backhand in practice has stripped away confidence in that stroke.
It's a work in progress.
"I'm not confident 100 percent to hit my best backhands yet," del Potro said. "And I also need time to improve my backhand again. I already been hitting backhands the last 10 days in one year, which is very — it's very bad to play in this level. But I am working hard. I am working hard every day little more on my backhand. I think it's the only way to get to past through all of the things and get well for the future."
Fresh off capturing the Indian Wells doubles titles with Jack Sock, Pospisil played assertive tennis in spurts. He served just 49 percent, but won 32 of 35 first-serve points, smacked 13 aces compared to 6 for del Potro and erased five of six break points.
Even nursing his backhand side, del Potro's massive forehand and ability to crack the first serve make him dangerous.
"He's still serving well and hitting his forehand huge, which made it tough," Pospisil said. "I just hung in there, you know, maybe got a little bit fortunate at the end. He was serving; had set pointon his serve; but then the rest of the way I played well."
Del Potro had more break-point chances, but Pospisil found the big man's backhand at crunch time.
In the fourth game, del Potro spun a one-handed backhand drop shot wide on a ball you'd normally expect him to hammer with this two-hander. Signs of stress seemed evident when he shook out his left wrist.
Lack of match play was evident in the fifth game when del Potro earned triple break point, but couldn't convert. Accelerating through his strikes, Pospisil hit some of his boldest forehands of the day digging out the hold for 3-2.
The Canadian's forehand can be dangerous or wildy erratic. It's not as compact as his two-handed backhand and he sometimes isn't on balance when he strikes. Pospisil missed a wild forehand to face double break point before ripping a couple of heavy topspin forehands down the line, closing a challenging game with a sharp forehand volley erupting with a "Come on!" and 5-4 lead.
Frustration over that missed opportunity lingered. Delpo double faulted for double set point. A wild shank off a framed forehand ended the set as Pospisil, who fought off five break points in the opener, snatched the 42-minute set away from the Argentine.
An annoyed del Potro, black Nike bag slung over his shoulder, walked off for a bathroom break, tossing his sweatband to a fan.
Refocused, del Potro broke to open the second set with a fist and yell.
In the seventh game of the second set, del Potro gave the crowd a glimpse of his Top 10 talent.
Unloading on a forehand return, he vaporized the shot so cleanly some fans actually gasped and others cheered at the lightning strike that was a clear flash of vintage Delpo. Walking behind the baseline, del Potro even broke into a brief smile—pleased by the shot and reaction—then held up his hand in apology to Pospisil, who smiled right back.
Pospisil slid an ace wide to hold for 4-5 and make the big man serve it out.
Del Potro was two points taking the set at 30-0. The Wimbledon doubles champion hit a sharp inside-out forehand followed by a forehand down the line for break point. That forehand combination was key for Pospisil today as he caught del Potro leaning to protect his backhand at times.
Pouncing on a second serve, Pospisil zapped a return at the big man's backhand. Del Potro blocked a weak one-handed backhand back as Pospisil converted his only break point of the set for 5-all.
A big service winner gave the Argentine double set point at 6-4 in the breaker. Del Potro's double fault into net elicited a groan from some fans in the crowd, who followed with an "Ole! Ole!" chant trying to rouse the world No. 616. Pospisil hit a serve winner to save the second set point.
Down 6-7, del Potro hammered an ace down the middle to save match point.
A second nervous double fault gave Pospisil a second match point. The agile Canadian worked the ball around the court avoiding his opponent's whipping forehand. When del Potro finally got a look at the forehand he wanted, he sailed it long ending the one hour, 57-minute match.
He left the court looking like a man grateful to be back out there swinging.
"It's just a wrist problem. Of course mentally you must be strongest enough to deal with the problem and get up every morning to do your treatments and rehab and stay calm, looking forward for the future," del Potro said. "I'm not hurried to be in the Top 10 very soon. I want to play tennis. It doesn't matter how long it's [going to] take me to be in the top again. I just wanted to play tennis and without pain."