By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, November 25, 2016
"I think I got lucky in the end because I made a backhand return winner and that was a great point," said Juan Martin del Potro, who broke serve three times in a four-set win over Ivo Karlovic.
Photo credit: Davis Cup
Facing tennis' toughest man to break, Juan Martin del Potro was unbreakable in Zagreb.
Del Potro did not face a break point defeating Ivo Karlovic, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5, to level Argentina with host Croatia, 1-1, on the opening day of the Davis Cup final.
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"It was a really difficult match for me, but I never give up," said del Potro, who raised his Davis Cup singles record to 14-4. "I got frustrated because I couldn't break his serve. I did well in the third and fourth sets and I think that was the key to the match."
Croatian No. 1 Marin Cilic opened the tie beating back Federico Delbonis, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, in three hours, 30 minutes.
Multiple wrist surgeries have drained the power and spin from del Potro's two-handed backhand, prompting him to play the slice throughout much of his comeback season. The two-hander was there when he needed it most today.
Withstanding 35 aces from Karlovic and a second-set stumble, del Potro drove his lone backhand winner to break serve for a 6-5 fourth-set lead. The Argentine No. 1 served out a three hour, 18-minute triumph.
"I was waiting my chance," del Potro said. "I did (break) twice in the third and fourth. I just tried to put the ball back in. I think I got lucky in the end because I made a backhand return winner and that was a great point."
It was del Potro's fifth consecutive Davis Cup singles victory and it came four years after he swept both Karlovic and Cilic in straight sets leading Argentina to a 4-1 conquest of Croatia in the 2012 quarterfinals.
The two nations split singles on opening day, opening the door for both respective No. 1 singles players to step into the crucial doubles tomorrow.
Croatia's Ivan Dodig and Franko Sugor are scheduled to face Leonardo Mayer and Guido Pella in the doubles, though Cilic is likely to substitute for Skugor. Cilic and Dodig defeated Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert leading Croatia to a 3-2 win over France in the Davis Cup semifinals. That win came after the pair joined forces to defeat Americans Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan in a quarterfinal conquest of the United States.
Del Potro paired with Mayer losing to Andy Murray and Jamie Murray in Argentina's 3-2 upset of defending Davis Cup champion Great Britain in September. Del Potro said a final decision on Argentina's doubles combination will come tomorrow morning.
"I don't know (if I'll play)," del Potro said. "I will try to recover a little bit. If I feel good tomorrow, the captain will decide between the four players."
In the opening set, del Potro broke Karlovic in his first service game then proceeded to win 20 of 22 points played on his own serve tearing to a one-set lead.
This match was all about imposing the serve and forehand for both men. Del Potro tormented Karlovic's slice backhand, provoking successive backhand errors to take a 5-2 tie break lead.
When Karlovic sent a running forehand long, del Potro had a pair of set points at 6-4. Poised for a two-set lead, del Potro could not put his towering opponent away. Karlovic unloaded on an inside-out forehand winner to save the first set point on his opponent's serve as Croatian fans chanted "Ivo! Ivo!" in unison.
Attacking behind a second serve, Karlovic was three feet from net when del Potro tried to pound a pass into the body, but found the net instead for 6-all.
In the 18-shot rally that followed, del Potro successfully lobbed the 6'11 tower of power, but Karlovic retrieved the shot, hung in the rally and drew a floated slice backhand error earning a set point of his own.
Attacking again, Karlovic coaxed a backhand lob error snatching a 64-minute set that seemed firmly in del Potro's hands and sending home fans into an extended ovation.
Neither man was tested on serve until the eighth game of the third set. Karlovic folded a backhand volley into net and followed with a double fault giving Argentina triple break point after two hours, 13 minutes. Karlovic saved the first two but missed a volley on the third break point as del Potro broke for 5-3.
Del Potro pounded out a series of first serves to seal the third set.
In the 11th game of the fourth set, del Potro delivered the decisive blows off both wings.
Chasing down a smash, del Potro fired a forehand pass. Karlovic went for a huge second serve, but missed the center stripe wide scattering his 12th double fault giving Argentina break point.
Anticipating the wide serve on the ad aside, del Potro cranked a backhand pass to break for 6-5, spun and stared at the Argentine fans, many of whom leaped from their seats in celebration.
Del Potro's 15th ace earned double match. On his second match point, del Potro cracked an inside-out forehand and closed when Karlovic's backhand reply expired in net as Argentine supporters clad in blue-and-white striped shirts bounced up and down in celebration.
Both nation's No. 1 players produced points today and both could square off in doubles tomorrow.