5 things to look forward to at the Indian Wells Masters 2017

Del Potro towers again

Juan Martin Del Potro scalped a set off Djokovic at Acapulco last week before his eventual loss

Gentle Giant Juan Martin del Potro has enjoyed perhaps his biggest resurgence in form yet over the past year. The former US Open champion, who has struggled with wrist injuries that nearly ended his career, mounted a return in the 2016 season that saw him slowly ascend the rankings following a second wrist surgery.

By mid-year, Del Potro had ascended significantly enough to qualify for the Olympic games, and it was here that the Argentine truly declared his comeback, defeating then World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the pair’s first-round clash in Rio.

The Tandil native would eventually face – and defeat – Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals; he won the singles silver in Rio, losing to Andy Murray in the finals.

2016 also saw Del Potro win his first title since his return from injury, at the Stockholm Open.

Del Potro would later go on to defeat Andy Murray in a five-set Davis Cup epic, and ended the year with the Davis Cup trophy for Argentina, beating Croatia in the finals.

Now into 2017, Del Potro sat out the Australian Open, clarifying that his absence was not due to injury but insufficient time to regain his fitness, and opened his season with the Delray Beach Open, a title he won in 2011.

He made the semi-finals, losing to Milos Raonic, and followed that up with a strong performance at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, where he scalped a set off top seed Novak Djokovic before his eventual loss.

Del Potro has made the finals at Indian Wells before, in 2013, where he took the first set off Rafael Nadal before eventually losing – that year, he defeated Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic back-to-back to make the final.

He appears to be back to fighting fitness, and should Del Potro be able to carry that form into Indian Wells, fans will have a treat on their hands.

Also assisting this is Del Potro’s immense hard-court form – he has a 15-8 title record on hard courts, of which 13-5 is on hard courts, the same surface that Indian Wellls is played on.

Depending on the draw at Indian Wells, we could see some interesting matches quickly into the tournament.