Juan Martín del Potro

Juan Martin del Potro meets with pope at Vatican

Agencia EFEMay 15, 2013 16:15

Rome, May 15 (EFE).- Argentine tennis star Juan Martin del Potro, who is taking part in this week's Rome Masters event, met Wednesday with Pope Francis I at the Vatican. "Today I was able to meet and talk with Pope Francis I at the Vatican. It was a unique experience for me. I'll never forget it," the 2009 U.S. Open champion, who describes himself as a devoted Catholic, said on Twitter. The 76-year-old Francis, the first pope from the Americas, was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires and was formerly the archbishop of the Argentine capital.

Tennis: Del Potro out of Madrid Masters

Agence France-PresseMay 3, 2013 10:17

Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, the world number seven, has pulled out of next week's Madrid Masters as he is still suffering from a viral infection, the tournament organisers announced on Friday. Del Potro, a semi-finalist last year, missed this week's Portugal Open through illness and has still not recovered. He has not played since being knocked out in the second round of the Monte Carlo Open in mid-April. cyb/chc/ps/bc

Nadal to play Swiss Indoors Basel event

Agencia EFEApril 30, 2013 11:45

International Sports Desk, Apr 30 (EFE).- Spain's Rafael Nadal will play in the event in Basel, the hometown of Swiss tennis great Roger Federer, this year, tournament organizers said. The 26-year-old Nadal, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, has not played in the Swiss Indoors in nine years. The hardcourt tournament, which will take place Oct. 19-27, will feature Federer, Nadal and defending champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. Nadal lost in the first round both times that he played the event in Basel.

Tennis: Ferrer takes Portugal top seeding in place of Del Potro

Agence France-PresseApril 27, 2013 21:45

David Ferrer has been drafted in as a late replacement for ailing Juan Martin del Potro just in time to save face for the Portugal Open as the event begins on Monday. The re-branded ATP 250 tournament, formerly the Estoril Open, got the bad news from Del Potro's agent that the Argentine was dealing with a stomach virus and would not be able to play the tournament which he won a year ago over Richard Gasquet. Ferrer, fourth in the world, will be happy for extra time on court as top seed after losing in his opening match at the Barcelona Open to Russian Dimitry Tursunov.

Tennis: Top seed Del Potro out of Portugal Open with illness

Agence France-PresseApril 26, 2013 14:16

Top seed Juan Martin del Potro has withdrawn from next week's Portugal Open, organisers confirmed on Friday. Officials said they received word from the player's agent that he was ill with a stomach virus and would not make the trip to Europe. The world number seven's absence from the 250 series tournament leaves Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka as the main draw card at the re-branded clay event. The concurrent WTA field in Lisbon is headed by Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli and Dominika Cibulkova with three-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova earning a wildcard. str/bc

Tennis: Top seed Del Potro out of Lisbon Open with illness

Agence France-PresseApril 26, 2013 13:01

Top seed Juan Martin del Potro has withdrawn from next week's Lisbon Open, organisers confirmed on Friday. Officials said they received word from the player's agent that he was ill with a stomach virus and would not make the trip to Europe. The world number seven's absence from the 250 series tournament leaves Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka as the main draw card at the re-branded clay event. The concurrent WTA field in Lisbon is headed by Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli and Dominika Cibulkova with three-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova earning a wildcard. str/bc

Tennis: Del Potro offered Monte Carlo wildcard - organisers

Agence France-PresseApril 2, 2013 10:00

Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro has been given a wildcard entry for the Monte Carlo Masters later this month, tournament director Zeljko Franulovic said on Tuesday. The world number seven is the second to be offered the invitation to play in the principality after France's Gael Monfils. Nine of the top 10 players in the ATP world rankings will play at the tournament from April 14 to 21, with Roger Federer the only notable absentee, although organisers are still hopeful that he will accept a last-minute wildcard entry. jk/phz

Tennis: Kamke topples del Potro at rainy Miami

Agence France-PresseMarch 22, 2013 22:00

Fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina crashed out of the Miami ATP Masters on Friday, falling 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 to 89th-ranked German Tobias Kamke in a second-round match disrupted by rain. Del Potro had just dropped the first-set tiebreaker when the match was halted by rain, the break lasting almost three hours. The delay clearly did no favors to the world No. 7 from Argentina, although he said that the wait wasn't the problem.

Tennis: Kamke topples Del Potro at rainy Miami

Agence France-PresseMarch 22, 2013 21:45

Tennis: Del Potro commits to Queen's

Agence France-PresseMarch 19, 2013 14:01

Indian Wells finalist Juan Martin del Potro has become the latest leading player to announce he will take part in the traditional Wimbledon grasscourt warm-up event at London's Queen's Club in June. The Argentine, who lost in three sets to a resurgent Rafael Nadal in the final in California last week, joined US Open champion Andy Murray and world number six Tomas Berdych in committing himself to play at Queen's in the June 10-16 event. "I like to play on grass, and at the Aegon Championships you feel like you are at home," said del Potro, the world number seven.