By Tennis Now | Monday August 8, 2016

 

Juan Martin del Potro backed up his victory over Novak Djokovic with another win on Monday in Rio.

Photo Source: ITF

Juan Martin del Potro didn’t get a lot of sleep after his first-round upset of Novak Djokovic on Sunday night at the Olympic Games in Rio.

Turns out he didn’t need it.

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“Last night I went to bed at 4:30 in the morning,” he said after defeating Joao Sousa in three sets to reach the round of 16 at Rio. “Today I was having breakfast at nine o’clock. I still can’t believe I beat Djokovic and won again so soon.”

Del Potro, a bronze medal winner at the 2012 games in London, finds himself in a surprisingly good spot in the men’s draw now. He’ll face Japan’s Taro Daniel, who upset Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund on Monday, next.
If Del Potro advances to the quarterfinals he would face either 10th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut or Gilles Muller.

The Argentine hit 33 winners and smacked 13 aces in the match, but he showed his fatigue in losing a lopsided second set to Sousa before rebounding in the decider.

“I think I am getting better and I am in a good shape but I don’t know if I am prepared to play six or more matches this week,” he said. “I am just going slowly, trying to get better every day and I think I am doing well.”

The contest had a bit of chaotic element to it early. After the first two games of the opening set a fight broke out in the stands and play had to be delayed for a spell.

Things settled down after that.

Del Potro was eliminated from the doubles draw later in the day as he and Maximo Gonzalez fell to Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez, 3-6, 7-5, 2-6.

Novak Djokovic was also eliminated from the doubles draw late Monday—he and Nenad Zimonjic fell to Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares in straight sets.

In other singles action, fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori set up a round of 16 encounter with Andrej Martin of Slovakia when he defeated Australia’s John Millman in straight sets. Nishikori, a quarterfinalist in singles at the 2012 London Games, recovered from a 5-2 deficit in the first set to seal a shaky opener against Millman before dominating in the second set.

Marin Cilic and Gael Monfils also advanced, setting up a must-see round of 16 encounter.