Novak Djokovic eases into Cincinnati 3rd round after opponent retires

Juan Martín del Potro won't make US Open return due to health

Associated Press

Aug 17, 2023, 07:39 AM

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NEW YORK -- Juan Martín del Potro decided his body wasn't ready for a comeback at the US Open.

The 2009 champion wrote Wednesday in a social media post that he wasn't healthy enough to make the return he coveted.

Del Potro told The Associated Press in April that he wanted to "play a farewell match" in Flushing Meadows this year if his right knee would allow it. The U.S. Tennis Association said at the time that it would welcome the popular Argentine player back, but he was not listed among the players who received wild cards into the main draw Wednesday.

Hours later, del Potro revealed that he wasn't comfortable enough with his health and would continue searching for other solutions.

Wrist injuries had previously limited the powerful right arm that helped del Potro beat Roger Federer to win the 2009 title. He eventually recovered enough to get back to the final in 2018, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

But then right knee injuries sidelined him from June 2019 until one match in Argentina in February 2022.

Reuters

Aug 17 2023, 05:39 AM

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Iga Swiatek made quick work of qualifier Danielle Collins as she raced to a 6-1 6-0 victory Wednesday to reach the Cincinnati Open third round as third seed Jessica Pegula survived a tough opening match.

World No. 1 Swiatek broke 29-year-old Collins seven times, faced only two break points and wrapped up a one-sided match in a tidy 59 minutes.

"I feel like I was really solid and I didn't make a lot of unforced errors," Swiatek said in her on-court interview.

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"I really like playing that way because it gives me confidence and I can be proactive from the beginning to the end so I am pretty proud of today."

Swiatek raced out to 3-0 lead in the opener and, after both players swapped service breaks, the top-seeded Pole held to love before closing out the set with her fourth break.

It was more one-way traffic in the second set as a fully focused Swiatek shifted into cruise control and barely broke a sweat in a match she ended in style with a break to love.

Earlier, Pegula had her hands full in her first match since winning last week's Canadian Open as the American overcame a slow start to secure a gutsy 6-7(2) 6-2 6-3 win over Italian qualifier Martina Trevisan.

Pegula comfortably lost the first-set tiebreak but showed her quality in the second set before racing out to a 3-0 lead in the decider en route to her 27th hardcourt win this year.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, the Czech 10th seed, beat Anastasia Potapova 6-4 6-2 and Russian 14th seed Daria Kasatkina overcame lucky loser Varvara Gracheva 6-3 6-1.

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Juan Martín del Potro's US Open Return Delayed Due to Health Concerns

New York, Aug 17, 2023 - Juan Martín del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, has announced that he will not be making a return to the tournament this year due to health issues. In a social media post, del Potro expressed that his body was not ready for a comeback and that he was not healthy enough to participate in the tournament.

Del Potro had previously expressed his desire to play a farewell match at Flushing Meadows this year if his right knee permitted. However, the U.S. Tennis Association did not grant him a wild card entry into the main draw, and hours later, del Potro revealed that he was not comfortable enough with his health to compete and would continue to search for other solutions.

The Argentine player has had a history of wrist and knee injuries that have hampered his career. His powerful right arm helped him secure the 2009 US Open title, but wrist injuries limited his performance in the following years. Despite the setbacks, del Potro managed to reach the final again in 2018, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. However, right knee injuries sidelined him from June 2019 until February 2022, excluding one match in Argentina.

In other tennis news, Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula made impressive performances at the Cincinnati Open. Swiatek, the world No. 1, defeated Danielle Collins 6-1, 6-0 in a dominant display, breaking Collins seven times. Pegula, on the other hand, survived a tough opening match, overcoming Italian qualifier Martina Trevisan with a 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova and Russian seed Daria Kasatkina also recorded victories in their respective matches.

The US Open, one of the most prestigious events in tennis, is set to take place from August 28 to September 10, 2023.

https://www.espn.com.au/tennis/story/_/id/38206073/novak-djokovic-eases-cincinnati-3rd-round-opponent-retires