But he also played quite cleanly after recovering from a double-fault that ceded the opening set: Harrison finished with 33 unforced errors, one in the last set. He was a semifinalist at Roland Garros but hit the wall hard, beginning at Wimbledon. It was not a great surprise when he became the ninth player to retire during a match in the final grand slam of the season, which invariably has a high casualty rate.
Advertisement
Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro’s advanced to the quarterfinals after his opponent, Dominic Thiem, retired due to injury.
Sixth-seeded Venus is on first against 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova, who is in the round of 16 at a major for the first time.
“I didn’t expect to be in quarters in my second grand slam after my comeback”. “I’m playing good tennis”. My level is going up every day. I’m playing free. I don’t have any big problems in my wrist, and that’s important.
“But I tried to stay down”. Unable to put the usual pressure on his toes, he compensated and started running differently. Thiem said he would undergo an MRI later Monday.
You know, of course I asked for the wild card here because of that memory, but now my life is different.
“It’s never good to win a match this way”, del Potro told the crowd.
Del Potro led, 6-3, 3-2, at the time. The 2009 US Open champ missed the tournament the last two years after surgeries on his left wrist.
There was a moment in del Potro’s clash when the Argentinian’s backers must have been holding their breath.
But as with seemingly everything in his life today, the left wrist injury responsible for his three-year absence and near-retirement from the tour has changed his game in more ways than he can imagine. Lucas Pouille, on the other side of the draw, by contrast, played 19 to get to this stage.
Del Potro next battles twice grand slam victor Wawrinka and if he triumphs, Murray looms in the semifinals. And third-seeded Stan Wawrinka, who saved a match point in a five-set win Saturday, faces Illya Marchenko.
Having his body betray him is something del Potro is familiar with. Every inch of Del Potro’s 6ft 6in frame is geared towards being aggressive, the sound of a proper Del Potro forehand echoing around the stadium like a gunshot, causing gasps and near-screams.
“If I can combine slices and volleys with my old backhand, [IT] would be more unsafe for my game, and I will be comfortable with all my weapons”, he said.
Somebody noted that at the 2009 U.S. Open, which ended with a victory over Roger Federer in the final, he beat an Argentine, an Austrian and a Spaniard along the way – just as he’s done this year. His weapons were breathtaking, his future seemingly limitless. The No. 2 seed, Murray reached the quarterfinals for the 22nd time in his past 23 Grand Slam tournaments. When I made the decision to do the surgery, I always believe I will come back, for sure.
Advertisement
His career derailed by four wrist surgeries – no other grand slam victor in recent history, perhaps ever, has been hit as hard by injuries – del Potro wanted the trainer at the first changeover.
