Juan Martin del Potro was tired, sore and still nervous about being back in competition.
The 27-year-old Argentine had reason to celebrate, too, after beating Australian qualifier John-Patrick Smith 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday to advance to the Delray Beach Open quarter-finals.
Out for 11 months because of a left-wrist injury that took two surgeries to repair, Del Potro won consecutive matches for the first time since he reached the quarter-finals in Sydney in January last year.
Photo: Reuters
Smith attempted to exploit Del Potro’s backhand, a shot that the Argentine has had to alter from his customary two-hander to a one-handed slice due to the injury, but Del Potro was quick enough to run around the backhand and pummel forehands deep into the court.
“I need to improve my backhand as soon as I can,” said Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion and former world No. 4. “He kept making me hit backhands down the line and I don’t have the confidence to do that.”
Del Potro was next due to face fifth seed Jeremy Chardy of France.
Chardy fought through swirling wind to beat 19-year-old wild-card Noah Rubin of the US 6-4, 6-2. The Frenchman joined fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria as one of only two seeded players left in the draw.
Tim Smyczek set up another quarter-final against fellow American Sam Querrey.
Smyczek was entered in the qualifying tournament for the event when he learned American teenager Taylor Fritz had earned a special exemption into the main draw by virtue of reaching the semi-finals at the ATP Tour event in Memphis at the weekend.
Smyczek was given the wild card instead and he promptly beat Fritz in the first round. He followed with a win over seventh seed Donald Young 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 to reach only the second ATP Tour quarter-final of his career.
The 28-year-old Tampa resident has never reached a semi-final.
Young led Smyczek 6-1, 3-1 before two costly double faults in the sixth game gave the break back.
“I was feeling good mentally, even though I was getting my butt kicked,” Smyczek said. “I was just trying to figure out a way to disrupt his rhythm.”
Querrey, bolstered by 10 aces, including three in a row at the end of the match, defeated another American, Austin Krajicek, 6-4, 6-3.
OPEN 13
AP, MARSEILLE, France
Second seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and third-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet reached the Open 13 quarter-finals on Thursday.
Berdych, a finalist three years ago, needed more than two hours to get past the 18-year-old German Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 and was next due to meet sixth seed David Goffin of Belgium.
They were evenly matched, with the 30-year-old Berdych hitting 10 aces to Zverev’s nine and breaking his serve four times, despite losing his on three occasions.
Gasquet withstood 14 aces to beat 2014 French Open semi-finalist Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, breaking him three times and dropping serve once.
He was next due to face big-serving Australian Nick Kyrgios after he beat Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-4, 6-4.
Eighth seed Benoit Paire of France and Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia also reached the last eight.
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