By Chris Oddo

(August 17, 2012) -- Juan Martin del Potro feels safe playing the semifinals of the Western and Southern Open tomorrow, but he'll be going to get his left wrist looked at when he's through playing in Cincinnati this week.

So the news is not quite bad but not quite great either. Del Potro had surgery on his right wrist in the spring of 2010, so he's all-too-familiar with pain in that part of his body. Hopefully, for the sake of a player who many consider as one of the players poised to take advantage of the crater-sized hole that Rafael Nadal's absence has left in the US Open draw, the Argentine's concern is purely precautionary.

The 23-year-old 2009 US Open champion had to seek medical attention on Thursday during the first set of his round of 16 match with Viktor Troicki, and he played the remainder of the match predominantly employing a one-handed slice from the backhand side. But today he appeared to have more confidence with the wrist during his 6-1, 6-3 quarterfinal victory against Jeremy Chardy.

He was asked about the state of the wrist by reporters after the match. Here's what the World No. 9 had to say:

Q.  I come back to the wrist, because I read somewhere that you have to visit your physio, the guy who operated on the right wrist in Minnesota.  What are you going to do with him?
   
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  Yeah, I will visit with him after this tournament and he will tell me what is the plan for the next tournament. But I'm very confident with my doctor.  He's the best of the world about wrist, so after here I will talk with him and we will see.

Q.  Is there any risk about the US Open then?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  I hope not, no.  The good thing, I'm not getting worse so I can play.  But anyway, I want to wait [to see] what the doctor says, because I have experience on my other wrist, and I don't want to hear many people talking about my wrist.

Del Potro will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Western and Southern Open on Saturday afternoon. He is aiming to win his first ever Masters title.