"Don't overthink that perfect ending, your will always be amazing in your own way" - were the words Roger Federer used, to sum up, what was far from a perfect ending to his glorious career. The Swiss ace lost his final career match at the Laver Cup last week to bring the curtains down on his illustrious tennis journey.

It was not the kind of finish he would have dreamt of but it was eventful, emotional and fulfilling in its own way. Federer ended his career after losing his last singles and doubles game along with his last team event.

But having his great rival alongside him for his last game, and millions around the world weeping for having marvelled the last of his magic on the court, Federer still managed to achieve what many could only dream of when hanging up their boots.

The results hardly mattered as it was all about the legacy the 41-year-old&nbsp;left behind after decades of his heroics on and off the court. While Federer's&nbsp;was still an ending many can only dream of, Juan Martin Del Potro, a former world no.3 lifted the lid on how a series of injuries led to his heartbreaking retirement decision and left him with 'nothing'.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pickleball-phenomenon-takes-over-new-york-all-you-need-to-know-about-mini-tennis-521446">Pickleball phenomenon takes over New York - All you need to know about 'mini tennis'</a>

Del Potro managed only a solitary Grand Slam singles title, but he made the world stand up and take notice of his phenomenal talent with his on-court exploits at the start of his career. The Argentinian had the world at his feet when he became only the third player to defeat Federer in a Grand Slam final in 2009.

Del Potro outclassed Federer to clinch his maiden US Open title in 2009 and there was no looking back. However, injuries kept troubling him consistently, eventually forcing him to give up on the sport. After reaching a career-high ranking of world no.3 in 2018, Del Potro said he will quit tennis after the Argentina Open in February, earlier this year.

Lifting the lid on his injury struggles and retirement heartbreak, Del Potro revealed he cannot run or climb stairs without pain. The Argentinian said he has visited a host of doctors and has started another treatment which failed to yield a positive result.

“I recently went to Switzerland to see another doctor. I started another treatment, it was recommended by many tennis players and so far I have not even had a positive result," Del Potro told said in an interview with Argentinian newspaper&nbsp;La Nacion.

“Imagine what it’s like after every treatment attempt or surgery, the frustration I can feel when things don’t work out. As usual I delude myself, I hope, I have faith in every new treatment I try and, when this fails, the blow is hard.

“And for three and a half years, despite several surgeries and treatments, it always happened. Today I can only walk, I do not run on the treadmill, I cannot climb the stairs without pain. I can’t drive for a long time without stopping to stretch my legs.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-roger-federer-leaves-everyone-in-tears-as-he-bids-adieu-to-tennis-519333">In pics| Roger Federer leaves everyone in tears as he bids adieu to tennis</a>

"This is my reality, which is hard, it is sad, but I always try to improve my situation and my new challenge is also to live in the best possible way, even psychologically, despite my problem," he went on.

Del Potro had a tough time dealing with injuries throughout his career. The former world no.3 went through four knee surgeries after he fractured his knee cap twice in eight months. The Argentinian said he didn't have a gradual transition to retirement and still wants to return to the court but his knee injury has left him with 'nothing'.

"I can’t psychologically accept a life without tennis. I did not have a gradual transition to the after, I did not prepare, I have no idea what the other athletes did to live this process peacefully," said Del Potro.

"I was number three in the world, then suddenly I broke my knees and here I am, with nothing," added the 34-year-old.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/roger-federer-retires-a-black-swan-in-tennis-and-goat-beyond-numbers-517114">Roger Federer retires: A Black Swan in tennis and GOAT beyond numbers</a>

Del Potro, whose last appearance came at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires earlier this year is yet to retire officially, but has hinted he might not return to the court again. He said&nbsp;he knew after playing at the Argentina Open that his time was up. Injuries had taken a toll on his body and the 34-year-old&nbsp;knew it was 'enough'.

"And all this time I was trying to recover, as I have with any other injury, until in Buenos Aires I said: ‘That’s enough’. And from Buenos Aires I found myself, and I am still there, in that process of reflection, I wonder what things I might like, I don’t know," said Del Potro.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

"Don't overthink that perfect ending, your will always be amazing in your own way" - were the words Roger Federer used, to sum up, what was far from a perfect ending to his glorious career.

"Don't overthink that perfect ending, your will always be amazing in your own way" - were the words Roger Federer used, to sum up, what was far from a perfect ending to his glorious career. The Swiss ace lost his final career match at the Laver Cup last week to bring the curtains down on his illustrious tennis journey. It was not the kind of finish he would have dreamt of but it was eventful, emotional and fulfilling in its own way. Federer ended his career after losing his last singles and doubles game along with his last team event. But having his great rival alongside him for his last game, and millions around the world weeping for having marvelled the last of his magic on the court, Federer still managed to achieve what many could only dream of when hanging up their boots. The results hardly mattered as it was all about the legacy the 41-year-old left behind after decades of his heroics on and off the court. While Federer's was still an ending many can only dream of, Juan Martin Del Potro, a former world no.3 lifted the lid on how a series of injuries led to his heartbreaking retirement decision and left him with 'nothing'. Also Read: Pickleball phenomenon takes over New York - All you need to know about 'mini tennis' Del Potro managed only a solitary Grand Slam singles title, but he made the world stand up and take notice of his phenomenal talent with his on-court exploits at the start of his career. The Argentinian had the world at his feet when he became only the third player to defeat Federer in a Grand Slam final in 2009. Del Potro outclassed Federer to clinch his maiden US Open title in 2009 and there was no looking back. However, injuries kept troubling him consistently, eventually forcing him to give up on the sport. After reaching a career-high ranking of world no.3 in 2018, Del Potro said he will quit tennis after the Argentina Open in February, earlier this year. Lifting the lid on his injury struggles and retirement heartbreak, Del Potro revealed he cannot run or climb stairs without pain. The Argentinian said he has visited a host of doctors and has started another treatment which failed to yield a positive result. “I recently went to Switzerland to see another doctor. I started another treatment, it was recommended by many tennis players and so far I have not even had a positive result," Del Potro told said in an interview with Argentinian newspaper La Nacion. “Imagine what it’s like after every treatment attempt or surgery, the frustration I can feel when things don’t work out. As usual I delude myself, I hope, I have faith in every new treatment I try and, when this fails, the blow is hard. “And for three and a half years, despite several surgeries and treatments, it always happened. Today I can only walk, I do not run on the treadmill, I cannot climb the stairs without pain. I can’t drive for a long time without stopping to stretch my legs. Also Read: In pics| Roger Federer leaves everyone in tears as he bids adieu to tennis "This is my reality, which is hard, it is sad, but I always try to improve my situation and my new challenge is also to live in the best possible way, even psychologically, despite my problem," he went on. Del Potro had a tough time dealing with injuries throughout his career. The former world no.3 went through four knee surgeries after he fractured his knee cap twice in eight months. The Argentinian said he didn't have a gradual transition to retirement and still wants to return to the court but his knee injury has left him with 'nothing'. "I can’t psychologically accept a life without tennis. I did not have a gradual transition to the after, I did not prepare, I have no idea what the other athletes did to live this process peacefully," said Del Potro. "I was number three in the world, then suddenly I broke my knees and here I am, with nothing," added the 34-year-old. Also Read: Roger Federer retires: A Black Swan in tennis and GOAT beyond numbers Del Potro, whose last appearance came at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires earlier this year is yet to retire officially, but has hinted he might not return to the court again. He said he knew after playing at the Argentina Open that his time was up. Injuries had taken a toll on his body and the 34-year-old knew it was 'enough'. "And all this time I was trying to recover, as I have with any other injury, until in Buenos Aires I said: ‘That’s enough’. And from Buenos Aires I found myself, and I am still there, in that process of reflection, I wonder what things I might like, I don’t know," said Del Potro. ×

'Here I am, with nothing': Juan Martin del Potro lifts lid on heartbreaking injury struggles

Rafael Nadal once again proved why beating him at the French Open remains one of the most difficult feats to pull off on a tennis court. The Spaniard defeated world no.1 Djokovic in a thrilling four-setter in Paris to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Nadal and Djokovic produced an enthralling contest which saw the two superstars give their all on the court in a bid to get the better of each other. It was the 59th meeting between the arch-rivals and Nadal managed to come out on top against the Serbian ace.

It was a draining quarter-final clash between two of the greatest tennis players ever as it lasted for over four hours before Nadal won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4). Nadal now stands just a couple of steps away from lifting his 14th French Open title after an incredible display against Djokovic.

Djokovic was arguably the favourite against Nadal ahead of the quarterfinal considering the Spaniard's inconsistent form and issues due to injuries. However, Nadal seemed to have saved his best for the Serbian and did little wrong in the quarter-final to claim his 29th win against the world no.1 in a total of 59 meetings between the duo.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-rafael-nadal-beats-novak-djokovic-reaches-semi-final-483960">French Open - Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic, reaches semi-finals</a>

Nadal was hailed by many on Twitter for his stupendous show against Djokovic as fans relished another enthralling contest between the two arch-rivals. The likes of legendary Rod Laver, former world no.3 Pam Shriver and others hailed the Spaniard for his memorable victory. Several fans also took to Twitter to congratulate Nadal on the win.

Here's how Twitter reacted to Rafael Nadal's win over Novak Djokovic at French Open 2022:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Impresionante <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a>, jugó mucho mejor que <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a> que cometió errores en momentos claves. 
Ahora en busca del número 22. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RolandGarros?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RolandGarros</a>
— Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) <a href="https://twitter.com/delpotrojuan/status/1531776591184793600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
59 times over 17 years, the Novak and Rafa chronicle is as thrilling as ever. What a delight to witness another installment on Philippe Chatrier tonight. Congratulations on this occasion <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a>. The quest for 14 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RolandGarros?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RolandGarros</a> titles continues. Incredible.
— Rod Laver (@rodlaver) <a href="https://twitter.com/rodlaver/status/1531779564061757441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rafael Nadal everyone. 
 
RAFAEL NADAL 
 
Incroyable
— Patrick McEnroe (@PatrickMcEnroe) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMcEnroe/status/1531776516622778368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thanks for my VPN and <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisChannel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TennisChannel</a> plus and <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@twitter</a> space with <a href="https://twitter.com/RobSimmelkjaer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobSimmelkjaer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/chris_eubanks96?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chris_eubanks96</a> and friends from around the world what an amazing night of tennis 🎾 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Rafa!
— Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) <a href="https://twitter.com/PHShriver/status/1531780865067474945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The One. The Only. <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a> .. what a BATTLE! Physical, psychological, tactical test of wills. I've long ago run out of words for the matches between these two. As always a privilege to watch ! <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RolandGarros?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RolandGarros</a> Enjoyed the call Jason and JC!
— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) <a href="https://twitter.com/cbfowler/status/1531778174408859649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open remains one of the truly greatest challenges in all of sports.
— Scott Barclay (@BarclayCard18) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarclayCard18/status/1531776705379065856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
What a game.. Nadal just too good. Djokovic felt like he was too much up and down today, not used to see him like that.
— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) <a href="https://twitter.com/SiavoushF/status/1531777923111440385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-italys-martina-trevisan-beats-leylah-fernandez-to-reach-semi-finals-483916">French Open: Italy's Martina Trevisan beats Leylah Fernandez to reach semi-finals</a>

Nadal has had a fantastic 2022 so far. He won the Australian Open earlier this year to become the first male tennis player to win 21 Grand Slams in his career and is now eyeing his 22nd title at Roland Garros. Nadal will now lock horns with Alexander Zvervev in the semi-final of the French Open 2022.

Rafael Nadal once again proved why beating him at the French Open remains one of the most difficult feats to pull off on a tennis court. The Spaniard defeated world no.

Rafael Nadal once again proved why beating him at the French Open remains one of the most difficult feats to pull off on a tennis court. The Spaniard defeated world no.1 Djokovic in a thrilling four-setter in Paris to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Nadal and Djokovic produced an enthralling contest which saw the two superstars give their all on the court in a bid to get the better of each other. It was the 59th meeting between the arch-rivals and Nadal managed to come out on top against the Serbian ace. It was a draining quarter-final clash between two of the greatest tennis players ever as it lasted for over four hours before Nadal won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4). Nadal now stands just a couple of steps away from lifting his 14th French Open title after an incredible display against Djokovic. Djokovic was arguably the favourite against Nadal ahead of the quarterfinal considering the Spaniard's inconsistent form and issues due to injuries. However, Nadal seemed to have saved his best for the Serbian and did little wrong in the quarter-final to claim his 29th win against the world no.1 in a total of 59 meetings between the duo. Also Read: French Open - Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic, reaches semi-finals Nadal was hailed by many on Twitter for his stupendous show against Djokovic as fans relished another enthralling contest between the two arch-rivals. The likes of legendary Rod Laver, former world no.3 Pam Shriver and others hailed the Spaniard for his memorable victory. Several fans also took to Twitter to congratulate Nadal on the win. Here's how Twitter reacted to Rafael Nadal's win over Novak Djokovic at French Open 2022: Impresionante @RafaelNadal, jugó mucho mejor que @DjokerNole que cometió errores en momentos claves. Ahora en busca del número 22. #RolandGarros — Juan M. del Potro (@delpotrojuan) May 31, 2022 × 59 times over 17 years, the Novak and Rafa chronicle is as thrilling as ever. What a delight to witness another installment on Philippe Chatrier tonight. Congratulations on this occasion @RafaelNadal. The quest for 14 #RolandGarros titles continues. Incredible. — Rod Laver (@rodlaver) May 31, 2022 × Rafael Nadal everyone. RAFAEL NADAL Incroyable — Patrick McEnroe (@PatrickMcEnroe) May 31, 2022 × Thanks for my VPN and @TennisChannel plus and @twitter space with @RobSimmelkjaer @chris_eubanks96 and friends from around the world what an amazing night of tennis 🎾 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Rafa! — Pam Shriver (@PHShriver) May 31, 2022 × The One. The Only. @RafaelNadal .. what a BATTLE! Physical, psychological, tactical test of wills. I've long ago run out of words for the matches between these two. As always a privilege to watch ! @DjokerNole #RolandGarros Enjoyed the call Jason and JC! — Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) May 31, 2022 × Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open remains one of the truly greatest challenges in all of sports. — Scott Barclay (@BarclayCard18) May 31, 2022 × What a game.. Nadal just too good. Djokovic felt like he was too much up and down today, not used to see him like that. — Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) May 31, 2022 × Also Read: French Open: Italy's Martina Trevisan beats Leylah Fernandez to reach semi-finals Nadal has had a fantastic 2022 so far. He won the Australian Open earlier this year to become the first male tennis player to win 21 Grand Slams in his career and is now eyeing his 22nd title at Roland Garros. Nadal will now lock horns with Alexander Zvervev in the semi-final of the French Open 2022.

'What a battle': Rod Laver, Del Potro & others react as Rafael Nadal beats Novak Djokovic at French Open 2022

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro is considering an imminent retirement from the sport, saying recurring injuries mean two tournaments in Argentina and Brazil this month will "possibly" be his last.

"This is one of the hardest messages I`ve ever had to face up to and communicate," the 33-year-old told reporters in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

"Everyone knows and hopes that I return to tennis. Possibly it won`t be like that and that it will be more of a farewell than a return."

The former world number three last played a tournament match in June 2019 at Queens in London. He injured his knee and has been struggling to regain full fitness ever since.

"The knee has been a nightmare," said the 6-foot-6 big hitter. "I`ve been trying alternatives and ways to resolve it for years and today I just can`t manage it," he said. "I never imagined retiring from tennis anywhere other than out there on the court."

Del Potro has won 22 ATP titles since turning professional in 2005, including the 2009 U.S. Open, his only major win. 
He has a wild card entry into the Argentina and Rio de Janeiro Opens, both of which take place this month.

Del Potro will face countryman Federico Delbonis in his first match in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.

The Rio de Janeiro Open begins on Feb. 12.

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro is considering an imminent retirement from the sport, saying recurring injuries mean two tournaments in Argentina and Brazil this month will "possibly" be his last.

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro is considering an imminent retirement from the sport, saying recurring injuries mean two tournaments in Argentina and Brazil this month will "possibly" be his last. "This is one of the hardest messages I`ve ever had to face up to and communicate," the 33-year-old told reporters in Buenos Aires on Saturday. "Everyone knows and hopes that I return to tennis. Possibly it won`t be like that and that it will be more of a farewell than a return." The former world number three last played a tournament match in June 2019 at Queens in London. He injured his knee and has been struggling to regain full fitness ever since. "The knee has been a nightmare," said the 6-foot-6 big hitter. "I`ve been trying alternatives and ways to resolve it for years and today I just can`t manage it," he said. "I never imagined retiring from tennis anywhere other than out there on the court." Del Potro has won 22 ATP titles since turning professional in 2005, including the 2009 U.S. Open, his only major win. He has a wild card entry into the Argentina and Rio de Janeiro Opens, both of which take place this month. Del Potro will face countryman Federico Delbonis in his first match in Buenos Aires on Tuesday. The Rio de Janeiro Open begins on Feb. 12.

Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro contemplating retirement due to persistent injuries

Injury-plagued Juan Martin del Potro on Wednesday underwent a third surgery on the right knee he broke at the 2018 Shanghai Masters and found immediate sympathy from world number one Novak Djokovic.

The 31-year-old Argentine giant has now had seven major operations in a career which promised so much when he swept to his first and only Grand Slam title at the 2009 US Open.

"In recent months, Delpo followed his doctors' advice and even tested the knee on a tennis court in Buenos Aires, but the pain persisted," said a spokesman.

"After their first meeting in Bern, Switzerland, (his surgeon) recommended a new surgery."

Del Potro, a former world number three but now down at 132 in the rankings, hasn't played since Queen's Club on the eve of Wimbledon in 2019.

As well as three knee operations, he had surgery on his right wrist in 2010 and three procedures on his left wrist in March 2014, January 2015 and June 2015.

Djokovic, whose 20-match rivalry with Del Potro stretches back 13 years, said he hoped to see the Argentine, a winner of 22 career titles, make a full recovery.

"I love and I support him and I send him my best wishes," said Djokovic after making the semi-finals of the Western and Southern Open in New York.

"He's probably one of the most unfortunate tennis players I have known with injuries. The quality of tennis that he possesses, it's really unfortunate to see him struggle so much.

"His fighting spirit and resilience to come back is something that's very inspiring. He's a gentle giant, a very likeable guy. I hope to see him soon."

Injury-plagued Juan Martin del Potro on Wednesday underwent a third surgery on the right knee he broke at the 2018 Shanghai Masters and found immediate sympathy from world number one Novak Djokovic.

Injury-plagued Juan Martin del Potro on Wednesday underwent a third surgery on the right knee he broke at the 2018 Shanghai Masters and found immediate sympathy from world number one Novak Djokovic. The 31-year-old Argentine giant has now had seven major operations in a career which promised so much when he swept to his first and only Grand Slam title at the 2009 US Open. "In recent months, Delpo followed his doctors' advice and even tested the knee on a tennis court in Buenos Aires, but the pain persisted," said a spokesman. "After their first meeting in Bern, Switzerland, (his surgeon) recommended a new surgery." Del Potro, a former world number three but now down at 132 in the rankings, hasn't played since Queen's Club on the eve of Wimbledon in 2019. As well as three knee operations, he had surgery on his right wrist in 2010 and three procedures on his left wrist in March 2014, January 2015 and June 2015. Djokovic, whose 20-match rivalry with Del Potro stretches back 13 years, said he hoped to see the Argentine, a winner of 22 career titles, make a full recovery. "I love and I support him and I send him my best wishes," said Djokovic after making the semi-finals of the Western and Southern Open in New York. "He's probably one of the most unfortunate tennis players I have known with injuries. The quality of tennis that he possesses, it's really unfortunate to see him struggle so much. "His fighting spirit and resilience to come back is something that's very inspiring. He's a gentle giant, a very likeable guy. I hope to see him soon."

Djokovic 'love' for Del Potro after third knee surgery, seventh career operation

Juan Martin del Potro was pushed to the limit before eventually taming Japan's plucky Yoshihito Nishioka 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-2 to reach the French Open third round on Thursday.

Joy was etched all over the face of the Argentine when he put away a forehand winner to finally eclipse his opponent after an absorbing match lasting three hours and 46 minutes.

The eighth-seeded Del Potro has twice reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, including last year, and had plenty of support in overcast conditions on Court Simonne-Mathieu.

However, he found it hard to get going in a first set that saw both players struggle on serve before the 72nd-ranked Nishioka edged ahead and held to open his account.

The 2009 U.S. Open champion Del Potro, more at home on hard courts than clay, settled down in the second though and levelled the match with a forehand winner courtesy of a net cord.

The 30-year-old matched his two breaks in that set with two more in the third to get on top in the match, but Nishioka, 23, won the fourth set tiebreak on his second set point.

That setback spurred Del Potro into action and, having beaten his Japanese opponent in their only other meeting, at Delray Beach in February, he was not about to let this one slide.

The world number nine raced into a 5-2 lead and, although clouds enveloped the court, the outlook was bright for Del Potro as he wrapped up the win before punching the air in delight.

He next faces Australian Jordan Thompson, who beat 40-year-old Croat Ivo Karlovic -- the oldest man to win a match at the French Open for 46 years when he made the second round on Wednesday.

Juan Martin del Potro was pushed to the limit before eventually taming Japan's plucky Yoshihito Nishioka 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-2 to reach the French Open third round on Thursday.

Juan Martin del Potro was pushed to the limit before eventually taming Japan's plucky Yoshihito Nishioka 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-2 to reach the French Open third round on Thursday. Joy was etched all over the face of the Argentine when he put away a forehand winner to finally eclipse his opponent after an absorbing match lasting three hours and 46 minutes. The eighth-seeded Del Potro has twice reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, including last year, and had plenty of support in overcast conditions on Court Simonne-Mathieu. However, he found it hard to get going in a first set that saw both players struggle on serve before the 72nd-ranked Nishioka edged ahead and held to open his account. The 2009 U.S. Open champion Del Potro, more at home on hard courts than clay, settled down in the second though and levelled the match with a forehand winner courtesy of a net cord. The 30-year-old matched his two breaks in that set with two more in the third to get on top in the match, but Nishioka, 23, won the fourth set tiebreak on his second set point. That setback spurred Del Potro into action and, having beaten his Japanese opponent in their only other meeting, at Delray Beach in February, he was not about to let this one slide. The world number nine raced into a 5-2 lead and, although clouds enveloped the court, the outlook was bright for Del Potro as he wrapped up the win before punching the air in delight. He next faces Australian Jordan Thompson, who beat 40-year-old Croat Ivo Karlovic -- the oldest man to win a match at the French Open for 46 years when he made the second round on Wednesday.

French Open: Del Potro prevails in five-set battle with Nishioka

Naomi Osaka's quest for a third consecutive Grand Slam title almost came to an abrupt end on Tuesday as a number of top players struggled to book their spots in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-alexander-zverev-defeats-john-millman-to-enter-second-round-222336">second round of the French Open.</a>

On a windy and chilly day at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/former-french-open-champion-jelena-ostapenko-blows-out-in-first-round-again-222347">Roland Garros</a>, world number one Osaka, who won the US&nbsp;and the Australian Opens, lost the opening set to love against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova before rallying back for a 0-6, 7-6(4), 6-1 victory.

Defending champion Simona Halep, Osaka's potential semi-final opponent, lost her way in the second set against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory on a windswept Court Philippe Chatrier.

In the men's draw, German fifth seed Alexander Zverev was also pegged back during his match against Australian John Millman and needed five sets to progress after winning the first two.

Last year's semi-finalist Juan Martin Del Potro also huffed and puffed into round two with a four-set win against Nicolas Jarry of Chile.

Victoria Azarenka avoided the fate of fellow former world number ones Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki, who were knocked out in the first round, when she beat 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets.

Osaka had the biggest scare, however, as spots of rain and swirling winds disrupted her game with the Japanese failing to put a mark on the scoreboard in the first set.

Schmiedlova twice served for the match, only for Osaka to raise her game and force the contest into a decisive third set during which her variety of shots and power proved too much to handle for the world number 90.

Croatia's Ivo Karlovic became the oldest man to win a match at the French Open for 46 years as he beat Spain's fellow veteran Feliciano Lopez in the first round.

Karlovic, who turned 40 in February, won a match featuring players with a combined age of 77 -&nbsp;the oldest in a Grand Slam in the professional era.

He became the oldest male player to win a Grand Slam match since Ken Rosewall, aged 44, did so at the 1978 Australian Open.

Naomi Osaka's quest for a third consecutive Grand Slam title almost came to an abrupt end on Tuesday as a number of top players struggled to book their spots in the second round of the French Open.

Naomi Osaka's quest for a third consecutive Grand Slam title almost came to an abrupt end on Tuesday as a number of top players struggled to book their spots in the second round of the French Open. On a windy and chilly day at Roland Garros, world number one Osaka, who won the US and the Australian Opens, lost the opening set to love against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova before rallying back for a 0-6, 7-6(4), 6-1 victory. Defending champion Simona Halep, Osaka's potential semi-final opponent, lost her way in the second set against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 victory on a windswept Court Philippe Chatrier. In the men's draw, German fifth seed Alexander Zverev was also pegged back during his match against Australian John Millman and needed five sets to progress after winning the first two. Last year's semi-finalist Juan Martin Del Potro also huffed and puffed into round two with a four-set win against Nicolas Jarry of Chile. Victoria Azarenka avoided the fate of fellow former world number ones Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki, who were knocked out in the first round, when she beat 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets. Osaka had the biggest scare, however, as spots of rain and swirling winds disrupted her game with the Japanese failing to put a mark on the scoreboard in the first set. Schmiedlova twice served for the match, only for Osaka to raise her game and force the contest into a decisive third set during which her variety of shots and power proved too much to handle for the world number 90. Croatia's Ivo Karlovic became the oldest man to win a match at the French Open for 46 years as he beat Spain's fellow veteran Feliciano Lopez in the first round. Karlovic, who turned 40 in February, won a match featuring players with a combined age of 77 - the oldest in a Grand Slam in the professional era. He became the oldest male player to win a Grand Slam match since Ken Rosewall, aged 44, did so at the 1978 Australian Open.

French Open: Top seed Naomi Osaka flirts with early exit, Victoria Azarenka and Del Potro also struggle

Frances Tiafoe's title defence wilted but Juan Martin del Potro looked fully recovered from his knee injury to cruise to a 6-3 7-5 win over Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the Delray Beach Open on Tuesday.

The third-seeded Tiafoe looked to have the match against qualifier Dan Evans in hand when he served up 6-5 and 30-love in the second set but was instead broken by Evans, whose aggressive net play frustrated Tiafoe in the final two sets as the Briton eventually prevailed 3-6 7-6(1) 7-5.

Late drama arose when Evans served for the match up 5-4 in the third set but nerves appeared to get to him and he was broken amid a flurry of unforced errors.

But Tiafoe was broken in the next game and Evans made sure not to make the same mistake twice, winning his final service game at love to set up a second-round match against tournament wild card Lloyd Harris of South Africa.

World number four del Potro, who missed last month's Australian Open to nurse the kneecap he fractured at the Shanghai Masters, showed no ill effects in his first match of the year as he blasted 12 aces to see off baseline specialist Nishioka.

The hard-hitting Argentine is looking to pick up where he left off before the injury, when his superb play made him a finalist at the U.S. and China Opens and helped the 30-year-old reach a career-high ranking of world number three.

Del Potro, who won the tournament in Florida in 2011, will next face big-serving American Reilly Opelka after last week's New York Open champion saw off countryman Tennys Sandgren 6-4 6-0 earlier in the day.

Top American men's player John Isner used his blistering serve to overwhelm Canadian Peter Polansky 6-3 7-6(4) and advance to the second round.

The second-seeded Isner fired 23 aces to Polansky's four and won 87 per cent of his first serve points as he cruised to victory.

Next up for Isner is a second-round meeting with unseeded Slovak Lukas Lacko on Wednesday.

Adrian Mannarino, Andreas Seppi, Paolo Lorenzi, Jordan Thompson, Steve Johnson, Mackenzie McDonald, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Radu Albot also won their first round matches on Tuesday at the ATP World Tour 250 event, which is played on outdoor hard courts.

Frances Tiafoe's title defence wilted but Juan Martin del Potro looked fully recovered from his knee injury to cruise to a 6-3 7-5 win over Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the Delray Beach Open on Tuesday.

Frances Tiafoe's title defence wilted but Juan Martin del Potro looked fully recovered from his knee injury to cruise to a 6-3 7-5 win over Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the Delray Beach Open on Tuesday. The third-seeded Tiafoe looked to have the match against qualifier Dan Evans in hand when he served up 6-5 and 30-love in the second set but was instead broken by Evans, whose aggressive net play frustrated Tiafoe in the final two sets as the Briton eventually prevailed 3-6 7-6(1) 7-5. Late drama arose when Evans served for the match up 5-4 in the third set but nerves appeared to get to him and he was broken amid a flurry of unforced errors. But Tiafoe was broken in the next game and Evans made sure not to make the same mistake twice, winning his final service game at love to set up a second-round match against tournament wild card Lloyd Harris of South Africa. World number four del Potro, who missed last month's Australian Open to nurse the kneecap he fractured at the Shanghai Masters, showed no ill effects in his first match of the year as he blasted 12 aces to see off baseline specialist Nishioka. The hard-hitting Argentine is looking to pick up where he left off before the injury, when his superb play made him a finalist at the U.S. and China Opens and helped the 30-year-old reach a career-high ranking of world number three. Del Potro, who won the tournament in Florida in 2011, will next face big-serving American Reilly Opelka after last week's New York Open champion saw off countryman Tennys Sandgren 6-4 6-0 earlier in the day. Top American men's player John Isner used his blistering serve to overwhelm Canadian Peter Polansky 6-3 7-6(4) and advance to the second round. The second-seeded Isner fired 23 aces to Polansky's four and won 87 per cent of his first serve points as he cruised to victory. Next up for Isner is a second-round meeting with unseeded Slovak Lukas Lacko on Wednesday. Adrian Mannarino, Andreas Seppi, Paolo Lorenzi, Jordan Thompson, Steve Johnson, Mackenzie McDonald, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Radu Albot also won their first round matches on Tuesday at the ATP World Tour 250 event, which is played on outdoor hard courts.

Frances Tiafoe crashes out, Del Potro advances at Delray Beach Open

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin del Potro will not be participating in the upcoming 2019 Australian Open due to a fractured patella.

The 30-year-old has sustained the injury during the 2018 Shanghai Masters tournament when he fell on his right knee while taking on Borna Coric of Croatia in the third round of the competition.

He is still recovering from the injury.

The confirmation regarding his unavailability for the first major Grand Slam of the year was made by the tennis player himself on his Twitter handle."I hope you have a great 2019.

Recovery is going great and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback. Unfortunately, it won`t happen in Australia, I`ll miss you @AustralianOpen, but I`m happy with my progress. Happy New Year! Enjoy!" he wrote.

Del Potro had gone till the third round of the tournament where he was defeated by Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic. The 2019 Australian Open is slated to be held from January 14 to 27 in Melbourne, Australia.

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin del Potro will not be participating in the upcoming 2019 Australian Open due to a fractured patella. The 30-year-old has sustained the injury during the 2018 Shanghai Masters tournament when he fell on his right knee while taking on Borna Coric of Croatia in the third round of the competition.

Argentine tennis player Juan Martin del Potro will not be participating in the upcoming 2019 Australian Open due to a fractured patella. The 30-year-old has sustained the injury during the 2018 Shanghai Masters tournament when he fell on his right knee while taking on Borna Coric of Croatia in the third round of the competition. He is still recovering from the injury. The confirmation regarding his unavailability for the first major Grand Slam of the year was made by the tennis player himself on his Twitter handle."I hope you have a great 2019. Recovery is going great and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback. Unfortunately, it won`t happen in Australia, I`ll miss you @AustralianOpen, but I`m happy with my progress. Happy New Year! Enjoy!" he wrote. Del Potro had gone till the third round of the tournament where he was defeated by Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic. The 2019 Australian Open is slated to be held from January 14 to 27 in Melbourne, Australia.

Injured Del Potro to miss 2019 Australian Open

World number five Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month's Australian Open as he continues to recover from a kneecap fracture he suffered during a fall at the Shanghai Masters October, he said on Monday.

"Recovery is going great and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback," he said on Twitter.

"Unfortunately it won't happen in Australia, I’ll miss you @AustralianOpen, but I'm happy with my progress."

Injuries are nothing new for the 30-year-old Argentine, who has been sidelined by wrist injuries that have required numerous surgeries throughout his career.

The hard-hitting del Potro was healthy for most of 2018 and had a career resurgence, winning the title at Indian Wells in March before reaching the U.S. Open final in September.

World number five Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month's Australian Open as he continues to recover from a kneecap fracture he suffered during a fall at the Shanghai Masters October, he said on Monday.

World number five Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month's Australian Open as he continues to recover from a kneecap fracture he suffered during a fall at the Shanghai Masters October, he said on Monday. "Recovery is going great and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback," he said on Twitter. "Unfortunately it won't happen in Australia, I’ll miss you @AustralianOpen, but I'm happy with my progress." Injuries are nothing new for the 30-year-old Argentine, who has been sidelined by wrist injuries that have required numerous surgeries throughout his career. The hard-hitting del Potro was healthy for most of 2018 and had a career resurgence, winning the title at Indian Wells in March before reaching the U.S. Open final in September.

Del Potro to miss Australian Open with knee injury

Spain's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?title=rafael+nadal">Rafael Nadal</a> maintained the top spot of men's Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings released on Monday with 7,660 points.

Serbia's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?title=Novak+Djokovic">Novak Djokovic</a>, who has returned to his brutal best this season with Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and US Open, climbed one spot up to the second after winning the Shanghai Masters title for the fourth time in a row on Sunday.

He is 215 points away from Nadal's position and warned that he is gunning for Rafael Nadal's world number one ranking.

"He warned that he is gunning for Rafael Nadal's world number one ranking after winning the title," said Djokovic.

Djokovic overtook Switzerland's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?title=roger+federer">Roger Federer</a> in the standings, pushing him down to third.

The rest of the top-10 remained unchanged, as Alexander Zverev of Germany stayed at No. 5, followed by Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Meanwhile, Australia's Matthew Ebden jumped 11 positions up to the 40th, after reaching the quarterfinals of the Asian tournament.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/borna_coric?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@borna_coric</a> is mover of the week after a run to the <a href="https://twitter.com/SH_RolexMasters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SH_RolexMasters</a> final. 
 
View Latest ATP Race To London: <a href="https://t.co/m5MT6dDjoU">https://t.co/m5MT6dDjoU</a> <a href="https://t.co/N6seZcqllT">pic.twitter.com/N6seZcqllT</a>
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATPWorldTour/status/1051762342697021441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The current top-10 ATP rankings and point scores are as follows:

1. Rafael Nadal (Spain) 7,660 points

2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 7,445

3. Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6,260

4. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) 5,860

5. Alexander Zverev (Germany) 5,025

6. Marin Cilic (Croatia) 4,185

7. Dominic Thiem (Austria) 3,825

8. Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 3,775

9. Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 3,440

10. John Isner (United States) 3,290.

Spain's Rafael Nadal maintained the top spot of men's Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings released on Monday with 7,660 points. Serbia's Novak Djokovic, who has returned to his brutal best this season with Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and US Open, climbed one spot up to the second after winning the Shanghai Masters title for the fourth time in a row on Sunday.

Spain's Rafael Nadal maintained the top spot of men's Association of Tennis Professionals world singles rankings released on Monday with 7,660 points. Serbia's Novak Djokovic, who has returned to his brutal best this season with Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and US Open, climbed one spot up to the second after winning the Shanghai Masters title for the fourth time in a row on Sunday. He is 215 points away from Nadal's position and warned that he is gunning for Rafael Nadal's world number one ranking. "He warned that he is gunning for Rafael Nadal's world number one ranking after winning the title," said Djokovic. Djokovic overtook Switzerland's Roger Federer in the standings, pushing him down to third. The rest of the top-10 remained unchanged, as Alexander Zverev of Germany stayed at No. 5, followed by Marin Cilic of Croatia. Meanwhile, Australia's Matthew Ebden jumped 11 positions up to the 40th, after reaching the quarterfinals of the Asian tournament. .@borna_coric is mover of the week after a run to the @SH_RolexMasters final. View Latest ATP Race To London: https://t.co/m5MT6dDjoU pic.twitter.com/N6seZcqllT — ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) October 15, 2018 × The current top-10 ATP rankings and point scores are as follows: 1. Rafael Nadal (Spain) 7,660 points 2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 7,445 3. Roger Federer (Switzerland) 6,260 4. Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) 5,860 5. Alexander Zverev (Germany) 5,025 6. Marin Cilic (Croatia) 4,185 7. Dominic Thiem (Austria) 3,825 8. Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 3,775 9. Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 3,440 10. John Isner (United States) 3,290.

Rafael Nadal holds top spot in ATP rankings, Djokovic in 2nd

Nikoloz Basilashvili stunned an off-colour Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4 in the China Open final on Sunday to claim his second trophy of the season.

Hamburg champion Basilashvili broke Del Potro in the third game with a series of powerful shots from the baseline before taking the opening set.

US&nbsp;Open finalist Del Potro was clearly feeling the effects of illness as he struggled to move freely on the court during the early exchanges.

Del Potro, who has reportedly been fighting a cold, came out all guns blazing in the second set and relied on his big serves to match the world number 34 up to 4-4.

Georgia's Basilashvili held firm, however, and got the vital break in the seventh game to close out the victory on his third match point in an hour and 39 minutes.

The 26-year-old Basilashvili, who saved all seven break points he faced in the contest, took his head-to-head record with world number four Del Potro to 1-1.

Despite missing out on a third title of the year, Del Potro can be satisfied with his performance in Beijing, as the 30-year-old qualified for next month's season-ending ATP Finals in London, joining Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Nikoloz Basilashvili stunned an off-colour Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4 in the China Open final on Sunday to claim his second trophy of the season. Hamburg champion Basilashvili broke Del Potro in the third game with a series of powerful shots from the baseline before taking the opening set.

Nikoloz Basilashvili stunned an off-colour Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-4 in the China Open final on Sunday to claim his second trophy of the season. Hamburg champion Basilashvili broke Del Potro in the third game with a series of powerful shots from the baseline before taking the opening set. US Open finalist Del Potro was clearly feeling the effects of illness as he struggled to move freely on the court during the early exchanges. Del Potro, who has reportedly been fighting a cold, came out all guns blazing in the second set and relied on his big serves to match the world number 34 up to 4-4. Georgia's Basilashvili held firm, however, and got the vital break in the seventh game to close out the victory on his third match point in an hour and 39 minutes. The 26-year-old Basilashvili, who saved all seven break points he faced in the contest, took his head-to-head record with world number four Del Potro to 1-1. Despite missing out on a third title of the year, Del Potro can be satisfied with his performance in Beijing, as the 30-year-old qualified for next month's season-ending ATP Finals in London, joining Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Nikoloz Basilashvili stuns ailing Del Potro for Beijing title

US Open finalist Juan Martin del Potro on Tuesday reached the second roundof the china open after defeating Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5 6-2.&nbsp;

Del Potro, playing his first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the US Open final last month, played a fair game as he fired 10 aces and won 86 per cent of points on his first serve to seal victory in 90 minutes.&nbsp;

The 30-year-old Argentine can qualify for next month's ATP Finals in London for the first time since 2013 if he reaches the final in Beijing.&nbsp;

He will now face Russia's Karen Khachanov.

US Open finalist Juan Martin del Potro on Tuesday reached the second roundof the china open after defeating Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5 6-2. Del Potro, playing his first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the US Open final last month, played a fair game as he fired 10 aces and won 86 per cent of points on his first serve to seal victory in 90 minutes.

US Open finalist Juan Martin del Potro on Tuesday reached the second roundof the china open after defeating Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5 6-2. Del Potro, playing his first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the US Open final last month, played a fair game as he fired 10 aces and won 86 per cent of points on his first serve to seal victory in 90 minutes. The 30-year-old Argentine can qualify for next month's ATP Finals in London for the first time since 2013 if he reaches the final in Beijing. He will now face Russia's Karen Khachanov.

Del Potro beats Ramos-Vinolas in Beijing opener

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro wept courtside after downing third seed Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday to set up a French Open semi-final clash with Rafael Nadal.

The injured-plagued former US Open champion battled through in three hours and 50 minutes after the match had been delayed by rain on Wednesday to reach the last four at Roland Garros for the second time, but first in nine years.

"It's tough to speak now," said an emotional Del Potro.

"I've been a long time without feeling good with my body. I had surgery three times on my wrist and I was close to quitting this sport. I don't have words to explain what this means to me and my team."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
"Of course the love from you guys, you make me feel so happy. I'm so proud to be here playing in front of you, I feel at home here. You make me feel so happy, so merci beaucoup."<a href="https://twitter.com/delpotrojuan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@delpotrojuan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RG18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RG18</a> <a href="https://t.co/I9pkgt9jlx">pic.twitter.com/I9pkgt9jlx</a>
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) <a href="https://twitter.com/rolandgarros/status/1004709088377364481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The fifth seed has now beaten Cilic eight times in a row, but on Friday he will face arguably the toughest test in tennis when he takes on 10-time champion Nadal for a place in the final.

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro defeated third seed Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 to enter the semi-finals of this year's French Open

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro wept courtside after downing third seed Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday to set up a French Open semi-final clash with Rafael Nadal. The injured-plagued former US Open champion battled through in three hours and 50 minutes after the match had been delayed by rain on Wednesday to reach the last four at Roland Garros for the second time, but first in nine years. "It's tough to speak now," said an emotional Del Potro. "I've been a long time without feeling good with my body. I had surgery three times on my wrist and I was close to quitting this sport. I don't have words to explain what this means to me and my team." "Of course the love from you guys, you make me feel so happy. I'm so proud to be here playing in front of you, I feel at home here. You make me feel so happy, so merci beaucoup."@delpotrojuan #RG18 pic.twitter.com/I9pkgt9jlx — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 7, 2018 × The fifth seed has now beaten Cilic eight times in a row, but on Friday he will face arguably the toughest test in tennis when he takes on 10-time champion Nadal for a place in the final.

French Open: Del Potro routs Marin Cilic to enter semi-final

Novak Djokovic overcame having to play twice in a day before cruising into the final of the Rome Masters with a ruthless 6-1, 6-0 win over Dominic Thiem on Saturday.

Djokovic, the former four-time champion, was forced to finish his quarter-final over Juan Martin del Potro earlier in the day after their match was rained off late on Friday.

But the setback seemed only to inspire the 30-year-old Serbian second seed, as he set up what is expected to be a mouthwatering final, and first meeting, with Germany&#39;s Alexander Zverev.

&quot;It was my best performance of the year,&quot; said Djokovic after his 59-minute win over Thiem who had knocked out Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.

Zverev, 20, became the youngest player in a decade to reach a Masters final when he clinched a gutsy 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 win over big-serving American John Isner.

Djokovic was the previous youngest Masters finalist, going all the way to the title in Miami as a 19-year-old in 2007.

Zverev will climb to a new career high in the rankings at number 14 by reaching the final and would break into the top 10 with the title.

&quot;I don&#39;t look at these kind of stats, who is the youngest player to have a Masters 1000 title or things like this. I try to play match by match and try to improve,&quot; said Zverev, who fired 12 aces and 41 winners past the 32-year-old Isner.

Thiem, beaten to the Madrid Masters title by Nadal last week, avenged his loss by dumping Spain&#39;s former seven-time Rome champion out in the quarters on Friday.

But the Austrian&#39;s dream run was quickly brought to an end by a clinical Djokovic on Saturday as the Serbian took his record to 5-0 against the 23-year-old.

In the WTA event, French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was forced to retire due to a neck injury from her semi-final against Ukraine&#39;s Elina Svitolina.

The Spanish third seed was 1-4 down after just 22 minutes in the first set when she quit, handing the eighth-seeded Svitolina a place in Sunday&#39;s final against Romania&#39;s Simona Halep.

Svitolina will chase a fourth title of the year after trophy triumphs in Taiwan, Dubai and Istanbul.

Muguruza had needed three sets to beat Venus Williams in the quarter-finals on Friday night.

&quot;I didn&#39;t want to leave Rome without trying to play,&quot; said Muguruza.

Sixth-seeded Halep, the champion in Madrid last weekend, reached her first final in Rome after sweeping aside Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 7-5, 6-1 in her semi-final.

&quot;Sometimes a win over a top player gives you confidence,&quot; Halep said after her semi-final.

&quot;Sometimes the work you do before the tournaments gives you confidence that you are ready to go. Sometimes just winning some matches, tough ones, even if in three sets, those are the most important matches.&quot;

(AFP)

Djokovic, the former four-time champion, was forced to finish his quarter-final over Juan Martin del Potro earlier in the day after their match was rained off late on Friday.

Novak Djokovic overcame having to play twice in a day before cruising into the final of the Rome Masters with a ruthless 6-1, 6-0 win over Dominic Thiem on Saturday. Djokovic, the former four-time champion, was forced to finish his quarter-final over Juan Martin del Potro earlier in the day after their match was rained off late on Friday. But the setback seemed only to inspire the 30-year-old Serbian second seed, as he set up what is expected to be a mouthwatering final, and first meeting, with Germany's Alexander Zverev. "It was my best performance of the year," said Djokovic after his 59-minute win over Thiem who had knocked out Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals. Zverev, 20, became the youngest player in a decade to reach a Masters final when he clinched a gutsy 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 win over big-serving American John Isner. Djokovic was the previous youngest Masters finalist, going all the way to the title in Miami as a 19-year-old in 2007. Zverev will climb to a new career high in the rankings at number 14 by reaching the final and would break into the top 10 with the title. "I don't look at these kind of stats, who is the youngest player to have a Masters 1000 title or things like this. I try to play match by match and try to improve," said Zverev, who fired 12 aces and 41 winners past the 32-year-old Isner. Thiem, beaten to the Madrid Masters title by Nadal last week, avenged his loss by dumping Spain's former seven-time Rome champion out in the quarters on Friday. But the Austrian's dream run was quickly brought to an end by a clinical Djokovic on Saturday as the Serbian took his record to 5-0 against the 23-year-old. In the WTA event, French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was forced to retire due to a neck injury from her semi-final against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. The Spanish third seed was 1-4 down after just 22 minutes in the first set when she quit, handing the eighth-seeded Svitolina a place in Sunday's final against Romania's Simona Halep. Svitolina will chase a fourth title of the year after trophy triumphs in Taiwan, Dubai and Istanbul. Muguruza had needed three sets to beat Venus Williams in the quarter-finals on Friday night. "I didn't want to leave Rome without trying to play," said Muguruza. Sixth-seeded Halep, the champion in Madrid last weekend, reached her first final in Rome after sweeping aside Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 7-5, 6-1 in her semi-final. "Sometimes a win over a top player gives you confidence," Halep said after her semi-final. "Sometimes the work you do before the tournaments gives you confidence that you are ready to go. Sometimes just winning some matches, tough ones, even if in three sets, those are the most important matches." (AFP)

Djokovic notches 6-1, 6-0 win over Dominic Thiem, sails into Rome Masters final

Argentina&#39;s Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month&#39;s Australian Open and possibly his country&#39;s Davis Cup first round tie against Italy because of injury concerns.

The former US&nbsp;Open champion has been plagued with wrist injuries for the past three years and after an impressive return in 2016 said he wants to avoid any setbacks.

A statement announcing that he was withdrawing from the season-opening Auckland Classic and the Australian Open said he needed more recovery time after leading Argentina to the Davis Cup title for the first time in November.

&quot;What I need is to have someone get me physically fit enough to last the whole year,&quot; the 28-year-old said.

&quot;We&#39;re looking at what the priority is. If tennis waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more.&quot;

He is regarded as a serious challenger for grand slam titles but three surgeries to his wrist threatened to end his career. He began the year ranked 1,042 but ended the season inside the top 40.

Del Potro reached the Olympic singles final in Rio, losing a cliff-hanger to Andy Murray, before guiding Argentina to victory over Croatia in the Davis Cup final.

The 28-year-old has not completely ruled out being available for their opening round against Italy starting on February&nbsp;3.

&quot;There&#39;s still some time to the first tie against Italy, but not so much and it&#39;s going to be on clay, a surface I struggle on,&quot; Del Potro said.

(Reuters)

The former US?Open champion has been dogged with wrist injuries for the past three years

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month's Australian Open and possibly his country's Davis Cup first round tie against Italy because of injury concerns. The former US Open champion has been plagued with wrist injuries for the past three years and after an impressive return in 2016 said he wants to avoid any setbacks. A statement announcing that he was withdrawing from the season-opening Auckland Classic and the Australian Open said he needed more recovery time after leading Argentina to the Davis Cup title for the first time in November. "What I need is to have someone get me physically fit enough to last the whole year," the 28-year-old said. "We're looking at what the priority is. If tennis waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more." He is regarded as a serious challenger for grand slam titles but three surgeries to his wrist threatened to end his career. He began the year ranked 1,042 but ended the season inside the top 40. Del Potro reached the Olympic singles final in Rio, losing a cliff-hanger to Andy Murray, before guiding Argentina to victory over Croatia in the Davis Cup final. The 28-year-old has not completely ruled out being available for their opening round against Italy starting on February 3. "There's still some time to the first tie against Italy, but not so much and it's going to be on clay, a surface I struggle on," Del Potro said. (Reuters)

Juan Martin del Potro to skip Australian Open over injury concerns

Former US&nbsp;Open winners and good friends -- Croatia&#39;s Marin Cilic and Argentina&#39;s Juan Martin Del Potro --&nbsp;are set to lead their country&#39;s challenge to win the Davis Cup final this weekend&nbsp;in the imposing Zagreb Arena.

Cilic, who is ranked sixth in the world, will play against the Federico Delbonis in the first singles match, followed by Del Potro&#39;s match against the 37-year-old veteran&nbsp;Ivo Carlovic.

Big-serving&nbsp;Carlovic is making a return to the Davis Cup after a gap of four years.

Thursday&#39;s draw in the iconic Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall also pitted Croatia&#39;s Franko Skugor and Ivan Dodig against Leonardo Mayer and Guido Pella in Saturday&#39;s doubles.

Cilic will take on Del Potro and Karlovic is scheduled to face Delbonis in Sunday&#39;s reverse singles.

Croatia, winners in 2005, are bidding for their second title while Argentina are looking for their first. Argentina is the only country in Davic Cup history to have not lifted the trophy despite having played four finals in the past.

&quot;I think Croatia are the favourites to win the tie,&quot; Del Potro told a news conference, sitting in front of the giant and elusive silverware on display.&nbsp;

&quot;They are at home and have a very strong team, but we are looking forward to a great weekend and we are also very proud to be in another final.

&quot;I&rsquo;ll have to be focused against Karlovic because one break of serve could cost me the match. It is great to be in the final at this point of my career after so many injuries.&quot;

Cilic, who carried the Croatians in a 3-2 semi-final defeat of France, heaped praise on Del Potro and said the host nation banked on fervent crowd support while welcoming the expected arrival of Argentina&#39;s former World Cup winner Diego Maradona.

&quot;Del Potro and I have known each other for a very long time,&quot; he said.

&quot;He is a great player and a very nice person, We always get along very well on the ATP tour and he is a very positive character for world tennis.

&quot;It will be nice to have Maradona here but it makes no difference to us that he will be cheering on his compatriots. There is little or nothing between the two teams and hence our passionate fans can make all the difference.&quot;&nbsp;

Argentina have a 3-0 Davis Cup record against Croatia, winning quarter-finals in 2002 and 2012 in Buenos Aires and 2006 in Zagreb.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Croatia is looking to win its second Davis Cup, while Argentina is seeking its maiden title

Former US Open winners and good friends -- Croatia's Marin Cilic and Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro -- are set to lead their country's challenge to win the Davis Cup final this weekend in the imposing Zagreb Arena. Cilic, who is ranked sixth in the world, will play against the Federico Delbonis in the first singles match, followed by Del Potro's match against the 37-year-old veteran Ivo Carlovic. Big-serving Carlovic is making a return to the Davis Cup after a gap of four years. Thursday's draw in the iconic Vatroslav Lisinski concert hall also pitted Croatia's Franko Skugor and Ivan Dodig against Leonardo Mayer and Guido Pella in Saturday's doubles. Cilic will take on Del Potro and Karlovic is scheduled to face Delbonis in Sunday's reverse singles. Croatia, winners in 2005, are bidding for their second title while Argentina are looking for their first. Argentina is the only country in Davic Cup history to have not lifted the trophy despite having played four finals in the past. "I think Croatia are the favourites to win the tie," Del Potro told a news conference, sitting in front of the giant and elusive silverware on display. "They are at home and have a very strong team, but we are looking forward to a great weekend and we are also very proud to be in another final. "I’ll have to be focused against Karlovic because one break of serve could cost me the match. It is great to be in the final at this point of my career after so many injuries." Cilic, who carried the Croatians in a 3-2 semi-final defeat of France, heaped praise on Del Potro and said the host nation banked on fervent crowd support while welcoming the expected arrival of Argentina's former World Cup winner Diego Maradona. "Del Potro and I have known each other for a very long time," he said. "He is a great player and a very nice person, We always get along very well on the ATP tour and he is a very positive character for world tennis. "It will be nice to have Maradona here but it makes no difference to us that he will be cheering on his compatriots. There is little or nothing between the two teams and hence our passionate fans can make all the difference." Argentina have a 3-0 Davis Cup record against Croatia, winning quarter-finals in 2002 and 2012 in Buenos Aires and 2006 in Zagreb. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Argentina, Croatia get ready to lock horns in Davis Cup final

Argentina ended Great Britain&#39;s reign as Davis Cup champions with substitute Leonardo Mayer&#39;s brilliant performance against Dan Evans.&nbsp; 
 
Mayer handed his side a 3-2 victory in the fifth rubber of the semi-finals on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
Mayer was a late replacement for Juan Martin del Potro who won the match with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 scoreline.&nbsp; 
 
The 29-year-old secured Argentina&#39;s place in their first final since 2011.&nbsp; 
 
Argentina captain Daniel Orsanic said of Mayer: &quot;Leo has played very, very good matches, Davis Cup matches before, so he has that feeling in his, in his body and in his mind, even though he&#39;s out of the Top 100 players now and that&#39;s not his (true) level, he&#39;s much higher. So he showed it today.&quot; 
 
&quot;Mayer played with his best tennis and the tennis we are used to seeing that won a lot of Davis Cup matches in the past,&quot; Orsanic said justifying his decision to rest 27-year-old in-form del Potro.&nbsp; 
 
This is Mayer&#39;s 11th victory in 14 Davis Cup singles rubbers.&nbsp; 
 
Andy Murray had hauled Britain level in the tie with a straight sets victory over Guido Pella in the first reverse singles on Sunday. 
 
After that, Britain had pinned all its hopes on Evans, but sadly he could not finish the job.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;After the first set I wasn&#39;t in the match. There was quite a lot of pressure on my serve and he served unbelievably,&quot; a dejected Evans said. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not a nice feeling. It&#39;s pretty raw right now for everyone. You do feel like you are the one who lost the match for these guys.&quot; 
Argentina has secured a final showdown with Croatia, who had earlier beaten France 3-1. 
 
Four-time finalists Argentina will attempt to win their first Davis Cup when they travel to Croatia from November 25-27. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Leonardo Mayer fired Argentina into the Davis Cup final after his victory over Great Britain's Dan Evans

Argentina ended Great Britain's reign as Davis Cup champions with substitute Leonardo Mayer's brilliant performance against Dan Evans. Mayer handed his side a 3-2 victory in the fifth rubber of the semi-finals on Sunday. Mayer was a late replacement for Juan Martin del Potro who won the match with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 scoreline. The 29-year-old secured Argentina's place in their first final since 2011. Argentina captain Daniel Orsanic said of Mayer: "Leo has played very, very good matches, Davis Cup matches before, so he has that feeling in his, in his body and in his mind, even though he's out of the Top 100 players now and that's not his (true) level, he's much higher. So he showed it today." "Mayer played with his best tennis and the tennis we are used to seeing that won a lot of Davis Cup matches in the past," Orsanic said justifying his decision to rest 27-year-old in-form del Potro. This is Mayer's 11th victory in 14 Davis Cup singles rubbers. Andy Murray had hauled Britain level in the tie with a straight sets victory over Guido Pella in the first reverse singles on Sunday. After that, Britain had pinned all its hopes on Evans, but sadly he could not finish the job. "After the first set I wasn't in the match. There was quite a lot of pressure on my serve and he served unbelievably," a dejected Evans said. "It's not a nice feeling. It's pretty raw right now for everyone. You do feel like you are the one who lost the match for these guys." Argentina has secured a final showdown with Croatia, who had earlier beaten France 3-1. Four-time finalists Argentina will attempt to win their first Davis Cup when they travel to Croatia from November 25-27. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Davis Cup: Argentina beat defending champion Great Britain to reach finals

The Scottish siblings, Andy and Jamie Murray kept alive Great Britain&#39;s of retaining their Davis Cup title.&nbsp; 
 
The duo defeated Argentina&#39;s Juan Martin del Potro and Leonardo Mayer in an intense match in the doubles semi-final on Saturday.&nbsp; 
 
A terrific effort from the Murray brothers reduced the overall deficit to 2-1. &nbsp; 
 
Andy and his older brother Jamie secured a thrilling 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in just under three hours on the hard court of the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. 
 
&quot;Yesterday was a very tough day. To come out and get the win with Jamie today was great. He played unbelievably well throughout the whole match. We are 2-1 down and it is a tough position to be in, but it is a better position that we were in at the beginning of the day and I still believe we can come back,&quot; three-time Grand Slam winner Andy said. 
 
&quot;We played a great match but we had to as those guys are playing really well too,&quot; said Jamie Murray. 
 
&quot;I think we should be proud of the way we played and competed from start to finish. We&rsquo;re back in the tie and gives us some momentum back in the tie going into tomorrow&#39;s matches.&quot; 
 
Great Britain took the first set comfortably in 26 minutes. Argentina broke serve to lead in the second and went on to level the match at one set all. 
 
The third set went with serve until the seventh game when Argentina moved in front with a break as Andy struggled with his first serve.&nbsp; 
 
But Britain broke back immediately with a clever return down the line from Jamie sealing the set.&nbsp; 
 
There was nothing to separate the sides in the fourth set which went with serve until the tenth game where the Murrays broke at the crucial moment to claim victory. 
 
The win by Britain sets up a fascinating third day with Andy having to fight Guido Pella in the first of Sunday&#39;s reverse singles. 
 
Argentina is&nbsp;looking to reach their fourth final in 10 years. But the side will need the claim the crucial point in Sunday&#39;s reverse singles rubbers before they find a place in the final. 
 
The winners of the tie will face France or Croatia in the final. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Andy and Jamie Murray battled Argentine duo in a thrilling four-set match to keep Great Britain in the running for the Davis Cup title

The Scottish siblings, Andy and Jamie Murray kept alive Great Britain's of retaining their Davis Cup title. The duo defeated Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro and Leonardo Mayer in an intense match in the doubles semi-final on Saturday. A terrific effort from the Murray brothers reduced the overall deficit to 2-1. Andy and his older brother Jamie secured a thrilling 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in just under three hours on the hard court of the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. "Yesterday was a very tough day. To come out and get the win with Jamie today was great. He played unbelievably well throughout the whole match. We are 2-1 down and it is a tough position to be in, but it is a better position that we were in at the beginning of the day and I still believe we can come back," three-time Grand Slam winner Andy said. "We played a great match but we had to as those guys are playing really well too," said Jamie Murray. "I think we should be proud of the way we played and competed from start to finish. We’re back in the tie and gives us some momentum back in the tie going into tomorrow's matches." Great Britain took the first set comfortably in 26 minutes. Argentina broke serve to lead in the second and went on to level the match at one set all. The third set went with serve until the seventh game when Argentina moved in front with a break as Andy struggled with his first serve. But Britain broke back immediately with a clever return down the line from Jamie sealing the set. There was nothing to separate the sides in the fourth set which went with serve until the tenth game where the Murrays broke at the crucial moment to claim victory. The win by Britain sets up a fascinating third day with Andy having to fight Guido Pella in the first of Sunday's reverse singles. Argentina is looking to reach their fourth final in 10 years. But the side will need the claim the crucial point in Sunday's reverse singles rubbers before they find a place in the final. The winners of the tie will face France or Croatia in the final. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Murray brothers keep Britain afloat in Davis Cup

juan-martin-del-potro

Juan Martin Del Potro, News on Juan Martin Del Potro, stories on Juan Martin Del Potro, articles on Juan Martin Del Potro, Juan Martin Del Potro stories at Wion, Juan Martin Del Potro news, Juan Martin Del Potro latest news

juan martin-del-potro