Del Potro has wrist placed in splint after fall in Shanghai
SHANGHAI, China (AP): JUAN MARTIN del Potro’s bruised left wrist was placed in a splint after a nasty fall while winning his quarter-final at the Shanghai Masters yesterday.
Del Potro is due to play Roger Federer in the semi-finals today. The other semi-final features top-ranked Rafael Nadal against Marin Cilic.
Del Potro tumbled on the court at 2-2 in the third set against Viktor Troicki of Serbia and instinctively tried to break the fall with his left wrist. Del Potro, who has undergone surgery on both wrists, conferred with a trainer as he repeatedly shook his wrist.
Del Potro ended up breaking Troicki’s serve in that fifth game and prevailed 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
“I don’t know how my wrist is after I fell down,” del Potro said before leaving for a local hospital. “I felt something wrong in that moment, but I continued to play, just playing (backhand) slices just to finish the match. I’m going to the hospital to see what the MRI says, and what the doctor says.
“Then I will take a decision for (today). I would like to play and be 100 per cent.”
Jorge Viale, del Potro’s agent, later tweeted that tests revealed a “wrist contusion” but “more serious problems were ruled out.”
“The doctors put a splint to immobilise the wrist,” Viale added. “Tomorrow morning, Juan Martin will decide whether he plays the semi-final.”
Del Potro beat Federer in the U.S. Open quarter-finals. Federer made another match-up by beating Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-4.
NOT WORRIED
“I hope for him (del Potro) that it’s nothing serious,” Federer said. “He’s had problems in the past and this is why he’s worried, rightfully so. At the end of the day nothing changes for me, I’ll be ready to come out here to play, and it’s for revenge for the US Open.”
Meanwhile, Nadal tied Andre Agassi for sixth place on the list of all-time Open Era wins. Topping Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3 was his 870th match win.
Nadal also improved his win streak to 15 having won the China Open last week. In Beijing, he defeated Dimitrov in a three-set semi-final.