[6] J.M. del Potro d. [31] P. Kohlschreiber 3-6 6-3 6-4
For the second day in a row Juan Martin del Potro, the de-facto anti-Federer of this BNP Paribas Open, is forced to come back from a set down to continue his campaign in Indian Wells. Kohlschreiber put up a good effort, glimpses of beautiful tennis, but once again came back short to solidify a reputation that sees him come out almost always at the losing end against Top 10 players (2-36 during the past 5 years).
The Argentinian started the match more aggressively than the day before, especially with his lethal forehand, and Kohlschreiber tried to counter with his textbook one-handed backhand. None of the two players could take control of the game, mainly due to lack of consistency. The first set went the Kohlschreiber way as the German was able to successfully move a slow del Potro during the eighth game to obtain the decisive break. “I started very badly – said Juan Martin in the after-match press conference however I was able to wait and find the way of my game, and I did after the first set. And then my games improved a little bit, and I found the way of my returns. I played more aggressive with my two-handed backhands, and I played more down the line”.
Kohlschreiber could not maintain the same level in the second set, progressively caving in to del Potro’s power and accumulating unforced errors over unforced errors. A poor service game at 3-4 gave way to the Argentinian who immediately grasped the opportunity to close the set and take the match to the decider. The only moment of the match that saw both players compete at their best was the beginning of the third set, in particular the 16-point long third game when del Potro could not convert four break points and ended up losing it due to a lucky net cord. DelPo’s racquet went flying through the court and on his bag at the change of end as he let out all the frustration for missing those chances. He shouldn’t have bothered though, as the break was just a couple of games away with Kohlschreiber incapable to clean his game from unforced errors. The German player’s last chance was on 2-3, when he squandered three consecutive chances to break back, eventually surrendering to his fate four games later after 2 hours, 17 minutes of hardly unforgettable play.
“A few years ago, I was thinking about quitting the game – said del Potro to the press after the match – I made three surgeries on my wrist, and I couldn’t fix the problem. I got depressed at home for a long while, and I wasn’t happy doing the effort to recovery my wrist. In that moment of my life, I was trying to find a different way of my life. That’s what I was thinking about, quit tennis. But thanks God I’m here and healthy, and I’m playing tennis again. I’m in the top 10 again. I have too much love from the crowd, for my fans, and I’m doing this because I love it”.
Juan Martin will play Milos Raonic on Saturday in his 11th semifinal in a Masters 1000 event, where he has played three finals losing them all to Djokovic (Shanghai 2013), Nadal (Indian Wells 2013) and Murray (Montreal 2009). “I would like to be in the final again. But I know Milos is another guy who can win the tournament. Roger and Coric are playing so good. So everything can happen. But I’m looking forward to win the first one here”.
