DON’T CRY FOR ME, ARGENTINA
Del Potro puts nine years of injury hell behind him as he sets up a semi-final showdown with Nadal
THERE were tears mixed with anger as Juan Martin Del Potro fought his way through to his first Roland Garros semifinal in nine eventful years yesterday.
The towering Argentinian, who would surely have won far more than his solitary Grand Slam title without his succession of wrist problems, was emotional after beating Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.
‘Everybody knows that I was close to quitting this sport two years ago, but then I never give up,’ said the 2009 US Open champion, who is back to world No 4.
‘And I have been trying and trying every day to fix my problem in my wrist. And in the end, I got it, and now I’m having a great present, looking forward for the future.
‘And of course I didn’t expect to be in the top five again, to reach semi-finals at the big tournament after all my injuries. I think all the tougher moments of my life are completely in the past.’
Earlier, in the second set, he had gone towards the crowd to remonstrate with a spectator who called out during his service motion in what was, at times, a highly-charged encounter between two of the more mildmannered players in the top ten.
‘I was just asking who was it? But I’m still trying to find the right person,’ he joked.
‘It was my fault, the crowd are amazing and that happens very often. I wasn’t focused in that moment, so I made the mistake.’
Del Potro will have to be at his best in the last four. Yet, even that might not be enough given he’s facing Rafa Nadal.
Indeed, you have to wonder if the Spaniard is fated to win this for an 11th time, with Wednesday evening’s first rain break when he trailed Diego Schwartzmann by a set and a break proving a turning point in their quarter-final.
Resuming 5-3 up in the second set after the overnight break, he came out and won 12 out of the first 13 points played upon their midday resumption.
Conditions were livelier, which suited him, and although the diminutive Argentinian kept plugging away, Nadal reverted to type.
Afterwards he was informed that doctors have found Cristiano Ronaldo to have the body of a 23 year-old, with seven-per-cent fat.
The Spaniard responded drily: ‘My body is about 40 years old, but I’m not really focusing on that. I’m pleased for Cristiano.’
The women’s semi-finals saw Sloane Stephens confirm that she has finally found her way back to some kind of consistency.
The 25-year-old marked her triumph at last year’s US Open by going on an eight-match losing streak that lasted until this February.
It was quite a nosedive, but now she is back in another Grand Slam final with the chance to inflict a fourth dose of heartbreak on Simona Halep.
Three times the world No 1 has been runner-up at a major and now she meets a player who appears to turn up infrequently, but when she does can hit a lethal run of form.
Once Nadal and Del Potro had set up the second of today’s men’s semis, Halep began an impressive demolition of Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, who she beat 6-1, 6-4.
Stephens, whose boyfriend is the former Hull City and Sunderland footballer Jozy Altidore, then inflicted another defeat on compatriot Madison Keys, 6-4, 6-4, just as she had done in the Flushing Meadows final eight months ago.
On clay Halep, twice a Roland Garros runner-up, ought to be favourite, but she is overdue a big title, while this is an unexpected second opportunity for the Floridian.
And when she gets on a roll, she can be unstoppable. Her turnaround came in March at the Miami Open which saw her suddenly arrest her bad run and take the title from nowhere.
Both she and Halep are superb movers and these two semi-finals were won by the more mobile players who were pitted against bigger hitters in Muguruza and Keys.
‘Life came at me fast after the US Open and I was just kind of regrouping and getting myself together, which I did well, and I started playing better and better,’ said Stephens.
‘Then obviously I had a good result in Miami. I have just slowly kind of gained momentum. There is no formula. It’s just each person is individual and does it on their own time.’
It has certainly been a better French Open for her than last year, which she missed with a long-term foot injury, and partially spent attending a wedding in Ireland.