The Princes of Men's Tennis face off
September 1st 2008 20:40
Del Potro has been on fire since July
two teens from disparate parts of the world – one a surging tennis powerhouse, the other better known for its electronics and sushi – have taken the US Open by storm and, on the strength of respective down-to-the-wire, five-set matches, reached the final 16.
Juan Martín del Potro, 19, from Argentina, and Kei Nishikori, 18, from Japan, both electrified crowds on show courts in day matches that went deep into the night on Friday. Side-by-side and back-to-back, Del Potro and Nishikori toiled for nearly four hours apiece to push into the fourth round.
There the two teens will meet . . . each other.
Monday’s matchup won’t just be a battle to determine the top teen; it may gauge who is ready to issue a manly challenge to the rulers of the men’s game.
Rafael Nadal isn’t the hottest player on tour. That distinction goes to Del Potro, who’s strolling through the summer on a 22-match win streak. The Argenteen has won four tournaments since July – becoming the first player to win his first four titles in four straight tournaments.
As a reward, Del Potro has rocketed up the rankings. In July he was No. 65; by the start of the US Open, he had reached a career-high of 17. Along the way he has notched wins over Andy Roddick and Richard Gasquet.
Del Potro, from the small city of Tandil, five hours south of Buenos Aires, hardly looks the part of a newcomer.
The lanky 6-foot-6 right-hander, nicknamed “Enano” (Dwarf) and “Palito” (Twig), has an imposing game of forceful groundstrokes and a big, 130-mph-plus serve. The Argentine takes a massive windup on his forehand and crushes the ball deep into the corners.
Unlike most of his compatriots (of whom there were 10 in the draw at the start of the US Open), who are more at home on clay, Del Potro prefers hard courts (even though two of his titles this summer were on European dirt).
After his 3-hour, 47-minute third-round victory over Gilles Simon, another player who’s had a personal-best summer, Del Potro said: “It was punishing, a battle. At the end, neither of us had anything left.”
“One day of rest won’t be enough; I need a month,” he added. “But I can’t complain.”
Nishikori has caused the biggest stir of the US Open so far
Standing in Del Potro's way for a quarter final birth is Japanese sensation Kei Nishikori, ranked No. 126 in the world.
Nishikori has scored the knockout of the tournament so far, toppling No. 4 seed David Ferrer, a US Open semifinalist last year.
The improbable win delighted the boisterous Armstrong Stadium crowd – which included Nishikori’s countrywoman, Ai Sugiyama, who made her way over to support him after her loss to Serena Williams.
The victory over Ferrer was Nishikori’s second over a top-20 player.
Earlier this year Nishikori raised eyebrows when, as a qualifier ranked No. 244 in the world, he won his first career ATP title, beating James Blake in the final of Del Ray Beach.
Nishikori also managed to take a set off Nadal on the grass at Queen’s Club, just two weeks before Nadal captured the Wimbledon crown.
Nishikori, from the coastal city of Shimane, Japan, moved – alone – to the U.S. at the age of 14 to attend the Bolletieri Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
“I couldn't speak English,” he said. “I was so nervous. I was like scary everything, all the American people.”
Nishikori is more than just raw potential. Against Ferrer, he demonstrated surprising polish and poise.
Out of game time though, the youngster looked shaky in an on-court interview, his legs visibly quivering. “I couldn't even move after the match,” he admitted.
For their efforts, Del Potro and Nishikori now take to the court on Labor Day, fittingly enough. The outcome may well depend on which of the exhausted teenagers has recovered from his previous match.
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