By Erik Gudris | Sunday, October 23, 2016
Juan Martin del Potro may have had a little trouble lifting the IF Stockholm Open trophy, but it was defintiely worth the wait. With his title run at the ATP 250 event in Stockholm, Sweden, del Potro ended a 33-month title drought stretching all the way back to 2014.
“I was really close to quitting tennis last December so to be able to lift another trophy is a special feeling,” del Potro said right after winning.
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The former US Open champion faced off against No. 6 seed Jack Sock making his own second straight appearance in the Stockholm final. The match itself was expected to be a battle of forehands from both men.
Nothing separted either player in the early games of the opening set. Sock, with a forehand winner, saved a break point against him before holding for 4-3.
Though a tiebreak looked a formality, it was Sock who blinked first. Serving at 5-all, Sock fell behind 0-40 on his serve. Del Potro soon broke Sock for 6-5 with help from a wayward backhand from the American.
Del Potro then served out the set 7-5.
Before the start of the second set, Sock recieved treatment on his right arm and shoulder. That didn’t help his cause though as Sock soon dropped his opening service game.
Leading at 2-1, it was now Del Potro’s turn for medical attention as he dealt with a nosebleed. The delay didn’t halt Del Potro’s momentum as he held serve for 3-1.
Things quckly began to unravel for Sock as the American began hitting more errors, including from his favorite forehand side. Del Potro earned another service break for 4-1 and essentially took control of the match.
Del Potro earned his first match points several minutes later after Sock netted a backhand while serving down 1-5. Sock did save two match points, one with a volley winner, to level things at deuce. But, Del Potro earned a third match point with help from another Sock backhand error.
Del Potro clinched the match and the title after Sock netted a final backhand into the net. With that, del Potro celebrated the 7-5, 6-1 victory having not dropped a set all week.
Stockholm is the first title of the season for del Potro. It is also his first ATP title since claiming Sydney back in 2014, and 19th career title overall.
Del Potro is now expected to rise to a ranking of No. 42 in the world on Monday.