Wimbledon 2013: Talking Points from Day 9

Can del Potro challenge Djokovic?

Juan Martin Del Potro

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. How is del Potro still playing?!

A fully fit player would have struggled to come out after the horrific fall del Potro suffered in the 1st game of his match against David Ferrer, let alone a massive 6” 8′ Argentine whose knee has already given him trouble for one whole match.

At the start of the match, it looked a formality for Ferrer. Del Potro could barely chase down any ball to his left. But as the match went on and Del Potro’s groundstrokes became more and more sturdy and reliable, it was clear there was only going to be one victor which was summed up by the Argentine’s rasping winner on match point.

Del Potro’s serving was also fantastic throughout, giving one of the best returners in the game almost no chance to get a foothold in any of his service games. And he’ll need his serve to be at its best in his next match as he takes on the greatest returner of all time.

Djokovic has looked completely at ease this tournament. He had his classic mid-match physical lull against Tomas Berdych where he dropped three straight games, but aside from that I can’t see any weaknesses in his game this fortnight. He hasn’t broken serve as much as he would have liked but with the amount of break points he’s generating, I wouldn’t be too concerned.

I literally cannot wait for this semifinal. If del Potro’s knee can hold out, thanks to his doctor’s ‘magic pills’, this promises to be a classic. The Argentine beat Djokovic at the Olympics last year after a grueling match against Roger Federer the day before, so we know the Argentine has the ability to beat the Serb and if his serve is anywhere near the level it was yesterday, even Djokovic will struggle to get some of those back.

But knowing Djokovic, he will find another gear against that giant and find a way to grab a hold in del Potro’s service games and from there, anything is possible. Just start praying Del Potro’s knee is fit enough though.