Semifinal misery for Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro
Rafa Nadal’s below-par season continued with the former world number one dumped from the Rio Open semi-finals with a 6-7(6), 7-6(3), 6-4 defeat by unseeded Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas on Saturday.
The top seed pipped Cuevas in a first set tie-break and denied his opponent two set points in the second but succumbed to his first defeat against the world number 45.
“I lost an opportunity, that’s it,” Spaniard Nadal said after being denied his 100th ATP final by claycourt specialist Cuevas who fired 48 winners to clinch the contest.
“I fought until the end. I have to accept it and keep working to try to change the dynamic. That’s what’s happening today and I have to work hard to change it,” added the 14-times grand slam champion.
“I didn’t win a title, so it wasn’t a positive two tournaments. I had my chances in both. I lost in the semi-finals of both tournaments and just have to look forward to Indian Wells.”
Cuevas will meet another unseeded player in Guido Pella in the claycourt final after the Argentine’s 6-1 6-4 humbling of fifth seed Dominic Thiem, who beat Nadal in the semi-finals in Buenos Aires last week.
World number five Nadal, who failed to win a grand slam title last year for the first time since 2004, entered the season positive after an injury-free off-season but was dumped out of the first round of the Australian Open and has struggled to return to his best form since.
No fairytale ending for Del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro’s return to tennis fell short of a fairytale ending on Saturday as the Argentine lost to American Sam Querrey 7-5, 7-5 in the semi-final of the Delray Beach Open.
The former U.S. Open champion Del Potro made his comeback at Delray Beach after an 11-month layoff following two surgeries on his left wrist.
He had looked strong in his run to the semi-finals but Querrey checked his momentum by breaking his powerful serve in each set at 5-5 – the only two breaks of the match.
Del Potro, 27, was aiming to recapture his magic at Delray Beach where he enjoyed comeback success by winning the 2011 title after fighting his way back form wrist surgery.
Former world number four Del Potro, who stunned none other than Roger Federer in the 2009 final at Flushing Meadows, has been frustrated by a succession of injuries since his sole grand slam title.
Ranked outside the top 1,000 at Delray Beach, he showed flashes of his old form, displaying good court coverage and growing confidence in his groundstrokes throughout the week save for two poor service games against Querrey.
Querrey will face Rajeev Ram in the final after the American upset fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 in the other semi-final.
