By Alberto Amalfi | Sunday, August 7, 2016
"I love the sport. I love the crowd. It was amazing," said Juan Martin del Potro after stunning world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2).
Photo credit: ITF Olympic Tennis
Racing right, Juan Martin del Potro drilled a flat forehand down the line past Novak Djokovic leaving the top seed shaking his head at his predicament.
Striking with audacious power, del Potro unleashed his electric forehand to devastating effect stunning Djokovic, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), in a pulsating opening-round upset at the Rio Olympics.
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A match of exceptional quality and dizzying drama left both men in tears and the crowd standing and roaring after it was over.
It was a painful sense of Deja vu for Djokovic.
Four years after del Potro denied Djokovic the bronze medal at the 2012 London Games, the 145th-ranked Argentine played transcendent tennis to overpower the world No. 1.
An enthusiastic crowd created a raucous atmosphere reminiscent of a soccer match and both men rode the intensity ratcheting up the quality of play as the tension escalated.
Multiple wrist surgeries stalled del Potro's career, but tonight he produced the dynamic baseline shotmaking that made him a Grand Slam champion. Del Potro, who celebrated showering ecstatic fans with his towels, wristbands and pieces of clothing, was nearly speechless by his performance.
"It's really difficult to talk now. I cannot believe this moment," del Potro told Bravo Network's Trenni Kusnierek afterward. "For me, trying to come back after the last three surgeries on my wrist, I'm beating the number one in the world. It's amazing for me."
The 2009 US Open champion played fearless tennis. Del Potro blasted 29 forehand winners and did not face a break point.
"I love the sport," del Potro said. "I love the crowd. It was amazing."
Fresh off his 30th career Masters championship in Toronto, Djokovic carried a 33-1 hard-court record on the season and a special quest into Rio: He was bidding to become the first world No. 1 to win the Olympic gold medal.
The 29-year-old Serbian had won 11 of his prior 14 meetings with the towering Tandil native, but none of that mattered much to del Potro tonight.
Del Potro's menacing baseline blasts from his forehand, combined with the consistent depth he maintained mixing his slice and two-handed backhand dislodged Djokovic from baseline.
Fifteen unforced errors hurt the top seed in the opening set.
Coping with the rockets launched from del Potro's forehand pained him even more.
Serving at 2-3 in the second set, Djokovic darted an ace down the middle to erase break point. By then, he'd saved all six break points he faced.
When del Potro's drive sailed beyond the baseline, Djokovic pumped his fist furiously and screamed working through a hard-fought hold for 3-all.
At 4-all, 30-all, del Potro detonated one of his most explosive forehands of the evening. Rallying from 15-30 down, he held to put the pressure square on the Serbian's shoulders. Djokovic would serve to stay in the tournament.
Teetering on the edge at deuce, Djokovic used a delayed attack to poke a forehand volley crosscourt. An electric backhand pass down the line capped a demanding hold. The crowd erupted and Djokovic waved his arms to the fans exhorting them to make more noise.
As tension escalated in the tie break, del Potro hammered his menacing forehand to hit Djokovic right out of the tournament.
Slashing an ace to open, del Potro followed slamming successive forehand passes down the line. Two points later, del Potro punished another forehand for a 5-0 lead.
Djokovic sailed his normally trusty two-handed backhand giving the 145th-ranked Argentine five match points.
On his second match point, del Potro cranked a forehand that collided with the top of the tape then fluttered over to end a gripping two hour, 27-minute triumph.
The pair engaged in an emotional embrace afterward with both men pinching back tears.
The world No. 1 showed his class waving in acknowledgement to the crowd. The anguish of this painful defeat was evident on his face as a red-eyed Djokovic broke down in tears walking off the court.
"He told me I deserved to win the match," del Potro said. "It was really kind of him. He's one of my friends on tour. I respect him on court and off court as well. He's a great champion. "
A day that began with del Potro stuck in an elevator, ended with him soaring in triumph.