Roland Garros: Del Potro Advances to Third Round Despite Injury Concerns
In a time where tennis players from Argentina are not as dominant as they were a decade ago, it is impossible to talk about the past five years, during which Roland Garros had at least three Argentinian players in the third round, without first painting a picture of the drama that unfolded this morning on court 2. In that hour and a half of action, everything happened. The name of the winner seemed to lean one way but ultimately went the other. However, the uncertainty was not due to the game itself, but rather because of the physical condition of both players, which ultimately determined the final outcome. Ultimately, Juan Martin Del Potro won his second consecutive match in his return to the second Grand Slam of the season, where he last played in 2012, joining Diego Schwartzman and Horacio Zeballos. However, the Tandil native had to suffer. Just like the nearly 1,500 people who crowded into the court located beside Plaza de los Mosqueteros and in the shadow of the giant Philippe Chatrier, under scorching sun.
Almagro's Heartbreaking Tears Touch Everyone
The image of Nicolás Almagro crying like a child, lying on the clay first and then on his way to the chair, prior to his withdrawal after shaking hands with Del Potro and the umpire, was one of the defining moments of the fifth day of the tournament. Equally impactful was the photo in which the Argentine chose to sit next to him, consoling him with gentle strokes on his head, whispering that the meaning of life ultimately lies elsewhere. Del Potro knows this quite well and therefore did not hesitate to have that gesture...
SEE THE PHOTOS IN HD
The match had its own dynamics until the winner felt discomfort in his right adductor when, at 4-1 in the first set, he twisted his body to hit a backhand. Up until that moment, everything had favored Del Potro, who dominated with his serve and forehand, even hitting a couple of surprising backhand winners. However, the match took a different turn once Almagro broke his opponent's serve (Del Potro had lost intensity and, at the very least, half of his mobility, making it difficult for him to change direction to hit his forehand) in the fourth game of the second set. The Argentinian then requested a medical timeout to take an anti-inflammatory as quickly as possible to alleviate the pain. From that point on, the match became completely different when the Spaniard stayed put after Del Potro won the first game of the third set. Almagro's left knee - the same knee that forced him to retire in the Rome Masters 1000 against Nadal - gave out, and he could only stand in the following game due to the fact that his serve only relied on the leverage of his arm and he barely used his legs. Afterwards, when it was Del Potro's turn to serve, Almagro stayed completely static after the second point. And he began to cry...
Juan Martín Del Potro, struggling with injuries during his match against Nicolás Almagro. (AP)
"It was a tough feeling to see a rival and a great guy suffering. In these situations, tennis becomes secondary, and health comes first. That's what I tried to tell Nico in that moment," Del Potro explained to the press afterwards.
Del Potro will now face Andy Murray, whom he battled in two memorable matches last year - the Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro and the Davis Cup semifinals in Glasgow. The match will take place on Saturday, so Del Potro will have a day and a half to recover and for his physiotherapist, Germán Hünicken, to work intensively on the affected area. Del Potro has taken another step forward in Roland Garros and, as he continues to emphasize, the important thing is to keep seeking "challenges" without setting specific rankings or tournament goals. Of course, if he is healthy and confident, he knows he has enough weapons to defeat anyone. Even if he faces the world number one.