New York, Sep 11 (DPA) Argentine Juan del Potro won a battle of 20-year-olds with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 comeback over Croatian Marin Cilic to make his biggest career impression at a Grand Slam by reaching the US Open semi-final.
Sixth-seeded Del Potro shrugged off an opening set to forget, turning the tide in the second set and never breaking stride to post the victory with his momentum running away here Thursday.
Del Potro, born within a few days of his opponent, lost only three of the last 20 games as he imposed his will over the Croatian, whose own big game deserted him after winning the first set and going up a break in the second.
He will wait for a winner from Spain’s third seed Rafael Nadal and Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
“I don’t know how I tuned it around,” said Del Potro, holder of six career titles. “I fought to the end. This was a beautiful win.”
Gusty conditions were “tough for both players,” he said.
“I was so focused on my serve. I didn’t miss many easy balls, and Marin was playing very well. In an important match like this, you feel nervous. I was thinking on every point, just trying to keep the ball inside the court.”
Del Potro and Cilic never played on the junior level, meeting for the first time in January when the South American won in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The victory will lift the number six Del Potro back into the top five in Monday’s rankings and makes him the third Argentine to reach the New York semis after Guillermo Vilas (1975-77, 1982) and David Nalbandian (2003).
Del Potro could do no wrong after making his move on Cilic, with the Argentine at one point breaking the Croatian’s serve on four straight occasions in the second and third sets.
Del Potro is playing the event for the second time, compiling an 11-3 record.
He stands 2-4 against Nadal but has won their last two meetings while trailing Gonzalez 1-3, but defeated the Chilean in their last match this summer in Washington.
rounak