“Hopefully I can go far in this tournament because I love the atmosphere, this crowd and to be in NY”.
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For Dominic Thiem, 2016 has been a season of discovery – and a series of teachable moments regarding the importance of restraint.
The world number one needed just 68 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium court to overwhelm the 52nd-ranked Shvedova and surpass Roger Federer on the all-time list of matches won at tennis’s four blue riband events. He was a semifinalist at Roland Garros but hit the wall hard, beginning at Wimbledon.
A backhand into the net followed by a forehand that expired into the tape gave del Potro the first break of the second set for 2-1.
It was a odd match all round, with Del Potro 3-0 down in the first set before receiving treatment on his shoulder.
Juan Martín del Potro, in his quiet and ambling fashion, has built up a steady body of work on his return to the tournament he won in 2009, and, with the crowd warming to every pistol crack of his huge forehand, he enters the quarter-finals on Wednesday as a unsafe contender. “I don’t know if I’m playing better than in 2009, but I keep winning”. “I played very well today with few unforced errors and made it tough for Grigor”, – Murray on his dominant win against Dimitrov.
“I couldn’t bend my knee too much in the last three days so I was handicapped”, said Thiem who said he was also suffering blisters on his feet. Unable to put the usual pressure on his toes, he compensated and started running differently. “I’m so glad to be part of the last eight, ” del Potro said, adding, “[Any] thing can happen”. Thiem said about his injury.
After a 6-5 record going back to Wimbledon, Thiem said he would adjust his 2017 schedule.
“I live in the present so I move on”, Venus said.
“First of all it is never good to win a match this way”, del Potro told ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi afterward. Sometimes it bothers me a little bit, but I can deal with that.
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.
Del Potro recalled in his on-court interview after Monday’s match how sad he was to watch the U.S. Open on TV, stuck at home the last two years.
Del Potro returned to the circuit in February and pulled off a memorable victory at Wimbledon by ousting Stan Wawrinka before tiring against Lucas Pouille – the flashy Frenchman who upset Rafael Nadal on Sunday. The Austrian retired a game later, handing Del Potro the victory.
After saving a match point in a five-set win in his last outing, Wawrinka was cruising against 63rd-ranked Illya Marchenko, who was playing in his first Grand Slam round of 16. He beat No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the first round there and took away the silver medal, losing to Andy Murray in the final.
A day after the last American man standing, Jack Sock, was eliminated by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, del Potro enjoyed massive crowd support and may well be the crowd favorite for the duration of the tournament.
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“If I can combine slices and volleys with my old backhand, [IT] would be more risky for my game, and I will be comfortable with all my weapons”, he said. His weapons were breathtaking, his future seemingly limitless.
